


A Riven Heart

by LadyYlla



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 13:29:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 41
Words: 96,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8403469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyYlla/pseuds/LadyYlla
Summary: It's been 8 years since the Battle of Hogwarts and Voldemort is missing. Neville is still working with Harry as an Auror and coming out of a terrible marriage, Pansy just wants to get her Potion Master's title and avoid her crazy mother Denise. Lots of Sex and Angst.





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All original characters, situations and plot ideas belong to JK Rowling. I make no profit from this.

Warning: This story is rated M for sexual situations and scenes, language, and darker themes later in the story.

A/N: This is my story that I wrote that is also posted on Fanfiction. I'm slowly going through and editing, and reposting here on ao3. The first half of this chapter is a summary of the final events of the last HP book, with a few changes here and there, and then from there one anything is game. *wiggles eyebrows*

Full Summary: Pansy Parkinson leads a quiet, isolated life making potions and spending time with her one true friend: Theodore Nott. Though she tries to become a Potion's Master, she knows her past decisions haunt her present life and keep her from her long term goals. Still, she doesn't let that get her down, especially when her crazy and going-even-crazier-with-every-day mother, Denise, sets her up on a blind date with ... Neville Longbottom? Now she has more friends than she knows what to do with, mind blowing sex on every occasion, and oh yea, Voldemort is still alive.

Throw in some Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, and Theo/Percy to tie everything up.

Lots of blood, sex, violence, shabby wandwork, and ... tightie whities?

\- A Riven Heart -

Chapter One

May 1st – May 2nd, 1998

Ribs aching from laughter and feeling lightheaded from hunger, he gazed up at the quickly darkening sky. Far across the lake, the dragon was drinking deeply and completely ignoring the three of them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Together they lay in the damp grass long after the laughter faded.

"What are we going to do, though?" Hermione said finally. "He'll know, won't he? You-Know-Who will know we know about his Horcruxes!"

"Maybe they'll be too scared to tell him?" Ron said hopefully. "Maybe they'll cover up-"

And then pain split open his forehead and he was Voldemort.

"Say it again! Say it again! Imposters? What imposters? I thought Gringotts had ways of revealing imposters? And they took? Tell me! What did they take?"

"A... a s-small golden c-cup, m-my Lord..."

The diary was destroyed and the cup was stolen: What if, what if, the boy knew about the others? Malfoy was left the diary, which he treated with no respect. What about Parkinson? Quickly he thought of the others. The lake, the shack, and Hogwart's. And Nagini... who must remain close now. The diary might've been destroyed, but he was still strong, still safe. So he flew. He had to check, make sure he was still safe...

Harry's eyes flew open, Ron and Hermione looking down at him. "He knows. He knows and he's going to check where the others are, and the last one is at Hogwarts! I knew it! I knew it! He thought it himself! He's mad at Malfoy about the diary, he thought of the lake, which had the locket and that's destroyed! The shack, which was the ring and Dumbledore took care of that one. And then he thought of Hogwart's! The last Horcrux is at Hogwart's!"

They rushed to Hogsmead and broke into Hogwart's with a little help from Aberforth of all people. Neville's voice, "I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!"

The things they learned about Hogwart's this year drove anger shivers throughout their bodies.

"Blimey, Neville," said Ron. "There's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth. They've used you as a knife sharpener." But Neville only shrugged, the cuts around his eye were deep and purple looking.

"Well, it got more difficult as time went on," Neville said. "We lost Luna at Christmas, and Ginny never came back at Easter, and the three of us were sort of the leaders. The Carrows seemed to know I was behind a lot of it, so they started coming down on me hard, and then Michael Corner went and got caught releasing a first-year they'd chained up, and they tortured him pretty badly. That scared people off."

"No kidding," muttered Ron.

The passage sloped upwards. Neville continued, "I don't know whether they were planning to kill me or send me to Azkaban; either way, I knew it was time to disappear."

"But aren't- aren't we heading straight back into Hogwart's?" Ron asked.

"Course, you'll see! We're here. Look who it is! Didn't I tell you?"

"Harry!"

"Harry Potter!"

"Ron Hermione!"

Before any of them could ask a question of their own, Harry felt a terrible, scorching pain in his scar. He turned away from everyone, the Room of Requirement vanished, and he was standing inside a ruined stone shack, and the rotting floorboards were ripped apart at his feet, a disinterred golden box lay open and empty in the hole, and Voldemort's scream of rage vibrated inside his head. He had to get back to Hogwart's-but first, he must check the other hiding places. He had to be sure...

Harry pulled away from Voldemort's mind with enormous effort, back to where he stood in the Room of Requirement, sweat pouring from his face, and Ron holding him up. Time was running out fast.

"We got your message, Neville! Hello you three, I thought you must be here." Luna, Dean, Ginny, followed by Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and Cho Chang.

"Why can't they help?" Ron asked, turning to Harry.

"What?"

"They can help. We don't know where the last one is and we've got to find it fast. We don't have to tell them what it is."

"Ron's right," Said Hermione. "You don't have to do everything alone, Harry."

"All right- all right... There's something we need to find," Harry said to the room. "Something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwart's, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw."

"Well, there's her lost diadem, I told you about it. Remember Harry?" Luna answered.

Harry found himself under the Cloak with Luna after a, literally, stunning moment in Ravenclaw Tower and Amycus outside trying to get to his sister, Professor McGonagall declaring, "Why would Harry Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my House!" and then to Amycus, "Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice. A difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it."

A wrath that was like physical pain blazed through Harry, setting his scar on fire, and for a second he looked down upon a basin whose potion had turned clear, and saw that no golden locket lay safe beneath the surface. Harry was running out of time.

Harry and McGonagall quickly rendered Amycus useless. "Time's running out. Professor, I am acting on Dumbledore's orders, I must find what he wanted me to find! But we've got to get the students out while I'm searching the castle – it's me Voldemort wants, but he won't care about killing a few more or less, not now-" not now he knows I'm attacking Horcruxes.

They found themselves inside the Headmaster's office, a great batlike shape flying off in the distance. "No, he's not dead," said McGonagall bitterly. "Unlike Dumbledore, he was still carrying a wand... and he seems to have learned a few tricks from his master. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is coming, we must do what we teachers can to barricade the school!"

"Professor," Harry said to Flitwick. "Professor, I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is important. Have you got any idea where the diadem of Ravenclaw it?"

"Protego Horribilis- the diadem of Ravenclaw? Nobody has seen it in living memory! Long since lost, boy!"

The castle was awake now, teachers running for their students, to rally who could help with evacuation and who could stay and fight. Kingsley, Lupin, Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Bill and Fleur, and Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley had all arrived. They were in the Great Hall when there was a silence that pressed hard on them.

"Give me Harry Potter and non shall be harmed." Said Voldemort's voice. "Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until Midnight."

There was silence until a finger rose from the Slytherin's with a shaking arm and a voice he recognized as that of Pansy Parkinson screamed, "But he's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!"

Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws all moved in front of him, backs to Harry, and created a wall between him and the Slytherin's.

"Thank you Miss Parkinson," Said McGonagall in a clipped voice. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House will follow. Potter! Aren't you supposed to be looking for something?"

"Oh! Right!" Harry moved away from the Great Hall, panic filled him. Voldemort thought he would go to Ravenclaw tower... No one had seen the diadem in Living Memory... He tore off in a different direction and he saw her. The Grey Lady. "You're the Grey Lady. The ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"That is correct." She looked young with long hair. Her tone was not encouraging.

"Please; I need some help. I need to know anything you can tell me about the lost diadem."

"I am afraid that I cannot help you."

"WAIT! This is urgent. If that diadem's at Hogwarts, I've got to find it, fast."

"You are hardly the first student to covet the diadem. Generations of students have badgered me-"

"This isn't about trying to get better marks! It's about Voldemort- defeating Voldemort- or aren't you interested in that?"

"I stole the diadem, I sought to make myself cleverer, more important that my mother. I ran away with it. Hid it inside a tree hollow in a forest. A forest in Albania. A lonely place I thought was far beyond my mother's reach."

"Albania? You've already told someone this story haven't you? Another student?"

"I had no idea... he was flattering... He seemed... to understand... to sympathize..."

"That wasn't the first time he wormed information from someone before...He hid the diadem in the castle, the night he asked Dumbledore to let him teach!"

He thought of the stone statue in Ravenclaw tower and thought of another: that of an ugly old warlock, onto whose head Harry himself placed a wig and a battered old Tiara. He rushed back towards the Room of Requirement and ran into Ron and Hermione; the latter was carrying an armful of Basilisk fang's. "Hermione did it!" said Ron. "She destroyed Hufflepuff's cup. Thought she should. She hadn't had the pleasure yet."

"Genius!" said Harry. "I know what the diadem looks like, and I know where it is." The three rushed through the Room of Hidden things, splitting up to look for the diadem. Harry found it finally, but not before running to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. Crabbe aimed to kill and then, "Like it hot, scum?" as his wand let out a flames of abnormal size, flames that licked up the piles of junk turning anything it touched into soot immediately. Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again. The towers of junk that had been here for centuries turning to ash.

"Here!" Harry grabbed two brooms, throwing one to Ron who pulled Hermione on behind himself. They took off into the air, flying off quickly towards the entrance. But he saw them: Malfoy with a stunned Goyle perched on a flaming tower of charred desks, Crabbe falling into the flames.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Ron screamed. But he and Hermione got a hold of Goyle and Harry gripped Malfoy tightly, getting him on his broom. All around them, the last few unburned things were being flung into the air by the devouring flames, the creatures of the cursed fire cast them high in celebration: cups and shields, a necklace, and an old, discolored tiara...

With the skills of a seeker, Harry dived. "What are you doing, what are you doing, the door is that way!" Malfoy screamed in his ear. But Harry made a swerve up and caught the diadem around his wrist. He rushed through the flames, towards a rectangular patch on the wall and moments later clean air filled his lungs. The door to The Room of Requirement vanished behind him and the diadem on his wrist was leaking a dark, blood like substance.

"It must of been Fiendfyre!" Hermione whispered. "Cursed fire – it's one of the substances that destroy Horcruxes, but I would never, ever have dared to use it."

The battle was still raging. Friends were fighting – some dying – but they just had to kill the snake. The snake was the only one left...

Harry looked into Voldemort's mind and the three of them rushed off to the Shrieking Shack, dodging creatures, dementors, Death Eaters, and Trelawney's flying crystal balls. They clawed under the Whomping Willow and emerged in the Shrieking Shack where Harry could see Voldemort and, of all people, Snape.

"I have a problem, Severus." Voldemort said softly. "Why doesn't it work for me, Severus? I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand... no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago. No difference. Do you know why I have called you back from the battle? My concern at the moment, is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely - ?"

" - but there is a question. Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?"

"I – I cannot answer that my Lord."

"Can't you?"

"My wand of Yew did everything of which I asked it, except to Kill Harry Potter. Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius's wand shattered upon meeting Potter's."

"I – I have no explanation my Lord."

"I sought a third wand, Severus. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore. All this long night, when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here wondering, wondering why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for it's rightful owner... and I think I have an answer. The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."

And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand and Nagini was on Snape. "Kill."

There was a terrible scream and Harry saw what little color Snape's face held drained, his black eyes widened, as Nagini's fangs pierced his neck. Then the great snake and Voldemort Disapparated. Harry crawled out of his hiding place and went to Snape, looking down at his dying form.

"Take it – take it," Snape pleaded, gesturing to his silvery tears leaking from his eyes.

Voldemort's cold voice filled the air, "You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the forbidden forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. You have one hour."

Thirty minutes later, Harry found himself in the Headmaster's Office, coming out of a pensive, Snape's memories filling every corner of his thoughts. Snape was the one who got the Sword of Gryffindor to him. Dumbledore wanted Snape to be the one who killed him. Snape who begged Dumbledore to keep his mother safe, Snape who pledged his loyalty to Dumbledore after Lily and James were killed. Snape, whose Patronus was a doe, a doe like Lily's.

And Harry was an unintentional Horcrux. When his mother cast herself in front of Harry, shielding him from the Killing Curse, a piece of Voldemort's soul latched onto the only living thing in the room: Harry.

He understood, at last, that he was not meant to survive. It was hard, harder than anything he ever had to do, to walk into that forest. Hard to stand in front of the thing that murdered so, so many people. He surrendered himself to Voldemort and in a breath, he died.

When he opened his eyes again, understanding about the Hallow's, understanding about Dumbledore, and understanding that Voldemort wasn't a part of him anymore, he was lying on the forest floor.

He was carried from the Forest back to Hogwarts; Voldemort sneering and gesting about his great victory. But then Neville did the unthinkable. He broke from the full body bind that had been cast on him and with the Sword of Gryffindor pulled from the Sorting Hat, sliced through Nagini and destroyed the last Horcrux. Chaos reigned. Death Eater's, spiders, thestrals, centaurs, giants, students, house elves, all fighting. Harry slipped away under his Invisibility Cloak.

Mrs. Weasley was fighting off Bellatrix, screaming, "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!"

The side of Light was winning. Slowly, they were overtaking Voldemort's supporters until finally, Mrs. Weasley killed off Bellatrix and Voldemort let out a scream of rage at the death of his last and best Lieutenant; he turned the Elder Wand on Mrs. Weasley. Harry dropped his cloak and roared, "PROTEGO!" Shielding Mrs. Weasley and most of the Great Hall from Voldemort.

The shock at seeing Harry, alive, had everyone screaming out. And then, they dueled; Harry and Voldemort, not with wands but with words. "No one else, just me and you. There are no more Horcruxes. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good... Don't you ever learn from your mistakes, Tom Riddle?"

"You dare - "

"Yes, I dare! Don't you see, Tom Riddle?"

They prowled around in a circle. "Is it love again, Dumbledore's favorite solution, love, which he claimed conquered death, though love did not stop him falling from the tower and breaking like an old waxwork? Love, which did not prevent me from stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter – and nobody seems to love you enough to run forward this time and take my curse! So what will stop you this time from dying when I strike? You think you know more magic than I, Lord Voldemort, who has performed magic that Dumbledore himself never dreamed of?

"Oh, he dreamed of it, but he knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you've done."

"You mean he was weak! I killed Albus Dumbledore!"

"You only think you brought about his death! Snape was never your man!"

"What childish dream is this!?"

"Stop and think a moment, he loved her, my mother, all his life. His Patronus was a doe, just like my mother's... It's your last chance, it's all you've got left... I've seen what you'll be otherwise... be a man... Try, try for a little remorse..."

"But even then, Potter, Dumbledore as good as gave me the wand! I stole the wand from its last master's tomb! I removed it against it's last master's wishes! The wand is as good as mine! Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy..."

"But you're too late. You've missed your chance... Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed?..."

And then...

"Avada Kadavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

And like a bang from a cannon blast Harry caught the Elder Wand in his hand as Tom Riddle's body fell to the ground, red and gold lighting up the hall. But something remained. Like smoke from a lit cigarette, it swirled seeming dangerous and vicious. It kept its form and a wheezing shriek Harry had never heard before split the air, something remained behind as Tom Riddle's body turned to ash on the ground. The form rushed through a nearby broken window and with it, the shrieking sound.

All around him, screams and cheers exploded as sunlight shone through holes in the ceiling.

But Harry knew, he wasn't finished yet. Voldemort still existed in some form. Harry still had a Horcrux to find. . . .

July 29th, 2006

Pansy Parkinson sat, uncomfortably, in a small tea shop in Diagon Alley, a steaming cup of coffee that was really just cream with a dash of coffee, and a dry pastry sat untouched by her hand. Her raven hair fell behind the back of the chair in a waterfall of silky black, small curls at the tips. She had bangs that she trimmed herself falling in her eyes. She never trimmed them as short as they should've been, her mother liked to complain about the length on end; she used the long length to conceal her bright violet eyes that were a dead give away of her identity. Despite the sweltering summer heat outside, she wore a deep blue colored jumper and a pair of tight fitting blue jeans, with a sturdy pair of black ankle boots on her feet. Her classmates at Hogwarts used to joke saying she was cold blooded and that was just one of the many reasons why she was put in Slytherin; because no matter the temperature outside, she was always cold. Hence, the coffee. She placed both hands around the mug, letting the heat seep into her frozen fingers.

She'd been there long enough that she needed to put a stasis charm on her coffee to keep it from getting cold. She spent the time doing one of her favorite things of late: seething at her mother Denise Parkinson. The woman is seriously losing her damn marbles! Pansy thought bitterly. Not that she didn't have a good reason to lose said marbles, but in more ways than one, it was taking its toll not only on Denise, but on her daughter as well.

Eight years ago, The Dark Lord murdered Bernard Parkinson, a Death Eater yes, but her father regardless, in front of Pansy and Denise. That was after torturing Denise in order to get Bernard to comply. Raging, the Dark Lord destroyed Parkinson Manor, killed her father, and left Pansy and her mother in ruin.

These days, thought Pansy, Mother is content acting like a damn crazy lady and setting me up on blind dates that don't even show up!

Lord Voldemort was, you could say, in remission and missing. He was weakened too badly to be wrecking havoc like he did years ago, when Pansy was in her 7th year at Hogwarts. Right now, he was quietly hiding and as far as Pansy was concerned, he could very well stay that way.

After the Battle at Hogwarts, Pansy didn't understand what happened, only knew that after she tried to sell out Harry Potter, she was rushed away from the castle. She only had a vague idea of what happened after she left: Harry Potter almost killed him. But the Dark Lord was again, only barely alive, hanging on by a thread. He had no choice but to go into hiding and the few loyal followers that remained were only too happy to help him.

Pansy's father was one of those followers, too old to be at the Battle, not old enough to be excused for the loss. Voldemort showed up at the Manor days after the Battle, Pansy and her mother tucked away in Denise's art studio with the Malfoy's. Lucius been hauled away for questioning at the Ministry, which had a new Minister: Kingsley Shacklebolt. Narcissa and Draco were just happy to be alive and together especially when Lucius showed up seemingly free of Azkaban, spending those few days hugging and talking together. Pansy remembered how her father, Bernard rushed into the room and behind him...

No, don't remember.

She fidgeted nervously, breaking pieces apart from the pastry and sipping quietly at her coffee. Just a dash of sugar and as much cream as she could get away with, the beverage was heaven on her tongue and spread warmth through her constantly freezing bones.

Who agrees to a blind date set up by their mother? Crazy must run in this damned family.

It was only a few days ago when, after taking her tea with Denise, her mother admitted to setting her up with 'the most handsome bloke I've ever laid eyes on' on a coffee date for the coming Saturday and 'wouldn't you just be a dear and indulge your old mother, Pansy?'

She then went on for close to thirty minutes, blatantly ignoring Pansy's groans of protest, about the most charming young man she met shopping in Diagon Alley, and how handsome he truly was, and wasn't he just so very tall and sweet? And he owned his own business and worked with the Ministry and just happened to be single AND he was a Pureblood! Pansy had muttered about how that really didn't matter to her anymore which, of course, went totally ignored by Denise. That wasn't even the worst of the conversation.

The worse part about the whole situation was Denise wouldn't tell Pansy the name if this so called perfect man and, continuing on with the insanity, she didn't tell the poor bloke her name either and all the while her mother was claiming, 'He'll find you, my beautiful darling flower, it's meant to be!'

What an utter load of dragon dung. She should've just Avada'd herself immediately and put herself ,and whoever the poor guy was her mother probably harassed, out of misery. She could just imagine Denise strolling along down Diagon Alley, with more money than she can spend in a year and her complete lack of sanity, running into a perfectly fine wizard and bam! Denise pounces on the man and demands he take out her daughter lest she unleash all her craziness on him until the end of time.

She was truly feeling bad for the man, until it seemed he stood her up. Glancing at her watch she noted it was a quarter passed one in the afternoon and Denise had informed her, all too happily, that this mystery man would meet her at one on the dot.

It was in an effort to please her mother that Pansy even agreed to go. And that was when the nerves began to roll in. Pansy didn't date - by choice. She hadn't had a proper date since 6th year when Theodore Nott had taken her to Hogsmead. And well, she knew how Theo turned out. The last time Pansy had been intimate was in 7th year, eight long years ago. Easy, they called her during school. Very easy. But since then she hadn't been with anyone. When you were the girl who wanted to sell out Harry Potter, things didn't work for you like you wanted. Pansy just ran into bad luck.

In fact, Pansy ran into bad luck all the time, dating or not. Why would she purposely throw in a man to cause her even more problems?

She sipped the rest of her coffee and kept an eye on her watch as it ticked over to twenty after one. I'll give him ten more minutes, then I'm out of here.I'll tell Mother it went alright, but he wasn't the one for me and then hopefully never have to - What are the chances that he came in, saw that you were Pansy Parkinson, and just left?

Sighing, the insidious thought took over, adding to her nerves and she stood. Why wait?

The door to the shop opened and a chattering group of witches walked in, carrying shopping bags and laughing merrily together. They grabbed the table across from Pansy and began settling in. One of the witches Pansy recognized as Susan Bones, took notice of Pansy and nudged the witch next to her. This went on until all the witches were silent and staring at Pansy, who stood motionless and suddenly terrified.

Pansy recalled that Susan was pretty brave for a Hufflepuff and was proved right when she said, "I haven't seen you out and about much since school, Parkinson. How are you doing?" The other witches, most of which Pansy didn't recognize, looked surprised that the red head said anything but the blonde witch next to he spoke up before Pansy could reply.

"Why are you being nice to her, Susan? She's a traitor and a Death Eater's daughter." It was Hannah Abbott, also from her year at Hogwarts.

With a well practiced sneer Pansy always gave as good as she got. "The Bones come from a well respected wizarding family and were probably taught basic human manners. I'm doing fine, by the way, Susan. Thanks for asking." She noted her wand was tucked safely away in her jumper so she grabbed her small clutch purse from the table and she threw several pieces of gold on the table so she could make her escape before the situation escalated to anything more.

From the corner of her eye she noticed the door to the shop opening and a tall somebody walking in, but as she turned away from the table of witches, she heard Hannah use a tripping jinx on her, Susan calling out, "Hannah what are you doing!?" and her feet immediately stopped working as the ground rushed at her. Pansy's head bounced off the floor and a small ache erupted in her wrist from where she tried to brace her fall; she shut her eyes against the pain. A couple of the witches she didn't recognize were laughing. At me, they are laughing at me.

In the distance she heard the door shut hard and then the entire shop got quiet as a male voice called out, "Put your damn wand away, Hannah. What are you thinking using your wand on her in front of me? She's wandless, too."

"Don't you dare boss me around, Ne-" The sound drowned out.

A second later, two rough, and how rough would they have to be to feel it through the sleeves of her sweater, large hands were placed on her shoulders and she was lifted up easily to her feet. Pushing back the fall of her hair, she found her footing and lifted her face to thank the man who helped her up. Bright violet met dark, bottomless pools of blue and she took a step back away from the man with a gasp. It was quite possibly, excluding Voldemort himself, the last man she ever wanted to see again.

"Longbottom..." She sneered, pushing his hands away.

"Ahh, Parkinson." Neville Longbottom sneered right back at her.


	2. He Smells like Lemongrass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some swearing, jinxing, and yummy angst ahead.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 2

July 29th, 2006

Neville Longbottom was running late, as usual. His partner back at the Auror Office forgot to turn in paper work, as usual. And he was stuck finishing it up before his supervisor Sam 'The Idiot' McGee noticed the lack, as usual.

How that moron McGee got into a management position, he would never know. Thankfully, the paperwork on the small incident that happened outside of Devon was quickly covered up, no one hurt, and the two Muggles that witnessed the altercation were Oblivated and none the wiser to very public and totally illegal wizard's duel that took place there earlier in the day. Funny how he was more angry at McGee for being incompetent than his partner, the one who actually forgot to do the damn paperwork in the first place.

Thanking Merlin he was only twenty minutes late, he Apparated right outside of the Leaky Cauldron and prayed to any Gods listening that Hannah Abbott wasn't working today. She usually took weekends off to do her own paperwork, having taken over the business a few years back when – ugh don't even think about it, you'll just give yourself indigestion.

Peaking his head in the door, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hannah's friend Megan Jones, fellow Hufflepuff, behind the bar. She gave him a small wave and a sad smile as he crossed the floor heading towards the back alley way. He gave her back a wink as he slipped out the door and using his wand to tap on the bricks, entered Diagon Alley. The sight, only five days ago, he had run into an older witch with blonde hair and crazy smile and knocked all her shopping items out of her hand.

Apologizing, he had helped her gather the bags and suddenly found himself the focus of some kind of mad inquiry. How old was he? 'I'll be 26 on Sunday, actually.' And what did he do for a living? 'Well I'm an Auror for the ministry and I own a couple of greenhouses...' And was he married? 'Ha, not anymore!' And what was his preference for blondes? 'Definitely not!' And his family name? 'Longbottom, ma'am!'

The whirlwind questions got him feeling dizzy and he almost missed himself agreeing to meet up with a witch for a bit of coffee on Saturday? Say around one in the afternoon? And with a blink, the witch was gone and with it her twitchy grin.

Now he was quickly heading towards the tea shop that had popped up after the Battle of Hogwarts put Voldemort out of commission and had witches and wizards going back to a normal life. When the sign for 'Witchy Tea Shop and Goods' came into view, he felt like he took a stinging hex to the head when he realized he had no idea who he was meeting. The crazy old witch never gave him a name, hers or the girl he was supposed to meet.

Before he reached the big old fashioned door however, his partner came into view across the street. Or rather, the sun was glinting brightly off his hair blinding all the innocent bystanders that just happened to be out on the street.

"OI!" He called out. "MALFOY! YOU ASSHOLE! GET OVER HERE!"

Draco Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks and turned towards Neville. "Oh bugger off, Longbottom, the work day is over, can't a bloke have a life outside work?" He started walking towards Neville, a bag full of potions in his hand.

"Not when you skive off doing paperwork and left me with it. And then I had to deal with our idiot boss." Neville and Draco met in the middle of the street.

Draco winced hard at the words. "How the hell did that half-wit get hired again?"

"Got me." Neville shrugged and then grinned. "Anyways paper work is all done, you're welcome, and now you owe me lunch. See ya on Monday!" He turned and made the few steps back to the tea shop listening as Malfoy walked away muttering about how Neville was clearly sorted wrong and what kind of man needed better men to buy his damn lunch for him?

Laughing, Neville opened the door to the tea shop and stopped in his tracks, the smile from his face fading immediately. His earlier fear about seeing Hannah reappeared as the witch was right in front of him, with her usual group of friends and, surprisingly, Susan Bones. In front of them, her back to him, was a witch with a sheet of black hair that curled right at her waist. She was dressed in Muggle clothing, a blue jumper and a pair of jeans and was throwing gold on the table when Hannah did the unthinkable: pulled out her wand and attacked the girl.

It was just a simple tripping jinx, but it was too late for Neville to stop it. In slow motion, he watched as the girl turned and the jinx hit her feet. He watched as those feet stopped, frozen, and her figure fell to the floor, an arm out to brace herself. Neville watched as her head hit the floor hard and her hair covered her face. And Hannah was laughing.

"Put your damn wand away, Hannah. What are you thinking using your wand on her in front of me? She's wandless, too."

Hannah's face went from grinning to frowning at the sight of him. "Don't you dare boss me around, Neville! I'm your wi-"

Neville wasn't paying attention anymore. He gripped the small witch and hauled her to her feet. Asking if she was alright was on the tip of his tongue but she swept the hair from her face, save a set of bangs that fell over her eyes, and he finally saw her face, a face he knew all too well. Hooded violet eyes met his own, a small upturned nose sat above a pair of soft, pink lips. Her hand twitched towards her side and then she pushed him away.

"Longbottom," She sneered revealing a set of perfectly white teeth beneath her pretty lips. The sound of her voice brought him back to 7th year. Neville and Michael Corner were standing in Amycus's office for refusing to practice The Cruciatus Curse on first-years, Amycus stood with a few other students, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle along with Pansy and a few other Slytherin's. Amycus had gestured to Pansy and said, "Ladies first darling... show Longbottom what happens when he disobeys the new order."

She had stepped forward, and if the flash of emotion on her face was fear, he ignored it. Hesitating, she raised her wand and said, "Crucio."

He would likely never forget her voice. Or the torture that went with it.

Pansy thought his eyes were... gorgeous. And the glare, however malicious it was, sent a shiver down her spine. Deep blue, so deep it rivaled the oceans, so intense Pansy was finding it hard to breathe. Of course, as the seconds passed, glare bore into her. It was so... he obviously recognized her.

Bad luck. She took another step back as his glare turned into a look of disgust. He turned towards the table of witches. "Hannah, what the fuck did you think you were doing?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I thought a little jinx would put her snotty ass where it belongs, on the ground!" Some of the witches nodded, but Susan just looked disgusted at her friend.

"Regardless, it's against the law now to use your wand on another witch or wizard unprovoked."

Pansy blinked in surprise. The embarrassment she had felt was fading away, replaced with something else. Intrigue. Longbottom? Coming to her rescue?

"Are you on duty then?" Hannah asked, practically spitting at Neville.

He glared and Pansy realized this might not be about her, and was more likely to do with something between the two.

"No, I'm not on duty right now. But it would be remiss if I didn't-"

"Then don't worry about what you saw and, instead, maybe worry more about what the state of our mar-"

"I'm an Auror and you want me to just ignore you publicly breaking the law?"

"You're more than just an Auror and again, you're fucking off duty-"

"Still a fucking Auror, off duty or NOT!"

"This wouldn't be the first bloody time you've ignored the rules!"

"I did not come here to argue with you!" He shouted. Resentment was building in his chest already. He could barely look at her anymore without the feeling rearing its ugly head.

"Then why the hell did you show up!?" The blonde yelled back.

"BECAUSE I'M ON A BLOODY DATE, WHICH YOU'VE NOW RUINED. Let's go Pansy." Mouth agape, Pansy could barely blink before Neville had her hand in his and he was dragging her out of the shop. She heard someone openly laughing as Hannah sputtered, "What with HER?!" in shocked disbelief.

Neville was huffing a head of Pansy, dragging her down Diagon Alley the sun blazing down on them.

"Longbottom," she whispered attempting to break from his grasp. He ignored her and kept stomping away, his grip far too strong for her tiny self to break. She could practically see smoke rising from his head. "Longbottom..."

He was a head and a half taller than her. His dark brown hair was like the color of her favorite dark chocolate and it fell in waves behind his ears. His neck was thick and disappeared into his tee shirt which was tight fitting. The hand holding on clenched hers tightly. It was rough and callused and so much bigger than her own. She had no idea where he was taking her, but she wasn't about to be the one he let out this rage on.

"NEVILLE! YOU NEANDERTHAL!" She yelled, attempting to stop his stomping and get free of his impossibly tight grip.

He turned around so fast, she walked right into him and in the bump, dropped her purse. He pulled her the space between two buildings. Her eyes immediately found his, their gaze bearing into one another with a palpable force. There was scarring around his, more so around the right eye than the left, and around his nose. Deep gashes had once marred the face, and the evidence still lingered. She let out a slightly sad sigh. She was the one who caused most of those scars. She heard her own voice, from years ago, causing him pain. The Cruciatus falling from her mouth with too much ease. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and she truly was. She looked away from his face and had to prepare herself to step away from him, his hands having been placed on either side of her arms.

"Wait," He said softly and his voice, she noticed, was completely different than the way he spoke to Hannah.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly and kept her head down, looking at him through her dark bangs. Several moments of silence passed and a serious chill ran the length of her spine.

Memories of Hogwarts swam in her head, making her feel faint. She remembered the acidic words she spoke to him, picking fun of him, of all the people. She turned slightly, the potion shop she worked out was right around the corner, if she could get away from him, she knew she could make into the shop before he saw where she went. Oh great, here I am talking about escaping from an Auror. Like that'll work ever...

Instead, she leaned against the wall behind her, closing her eyes, feeling the rough exterior of the brick, and took a deep breath. She felt... jittery. His blue eyes were haunting her already, she saw them even with her eyes closed. His hands released her almost tentatively.

She opened her eyes and immediately found his again. He leaned against the opposite wall and crossed his arms, just a foot or so between them. His stance, a booted foot crossed over the other, her eyes reached down and then traveled up his jeans; they were tight and fed into his tee shirt. His arms had a dusting of hair and she could see how strong they were, not in form, just pure strength, strength found only from hard labor. Her eyes drank him up and then she raised her head up and their eyes met again with every ounce of that tangible force, as if something was holding her there.

He was just looking at her, taking her in as she had taken him in. He stayed like that for a long time and then, so slowly, his eyes traveled from the tip of her head to the bottom of her shoes. Silent and observing, his gaze caressed her. And then, her insecurities began to nip at her. Simple black boot, blue jeans, and a jumper? It was her standard these days, but what if it wasn't good enough for him? Hardly appealing to anyone, let alone the opposite sex.

"So," he paused. "your mother..."

"My mother..." Caught off guard, Pansy's first thought was oh great. Denise has finally done something crazy enough to attract Ministry attention, she'll be thrown in St. Mungo's immediately... which is where the damned witch belonged anyways.

"Blonde? Twitchy smile? Demented eyes?" His playful tone dismissed that notion though.

She barked out a laugh, understanding. "Check, check, and check. You're the poor bloke she assaulted I assume?" It made sense... ministry job? Pureblood? Handsome and tall and... where the world did Denise get 'sweet' from looking at this wizard? He was tall, sure, and thick from head to toe with muscle. Auror training had obviously been good to him. He was plain scary... 

He just grinned. "Assaulted is a strong word, I'd use harassed. She spit-fired a bunch of questions at me and apparently I answered them correctly because before I knew it I had agreed to this little date and she was walking away laughing maniacally."

Bad luck, bad luck, and more bad luck. The thought must have shown on her face. 

Neville stepped forward and hesitantly grabbed onto her hand, pulling it to his mouth where he gently kissed her knuckles, allowing for Pansy to feel completely bewildered. When he let go of her hand again, she left it lingering in the air for several moments, quite unsure of herself and feeling completely misplaced.

"I'm your date." He said with a smile. Oh wow, she realized he's having fun with this...

"My... my date?"

"Yes, you know... the date for one o'clock?"

"You're my date?" She did a sort of jump and looked back up to his eyes.

"Yes."

"The one at one o'clock?"

"Yes."

"At the tea shop?"

"Yes!"

She looked around, bewildered. "You're my date?!"

It was his turn to look at her strangely. Was she always this confused? Then he felt slightly angry at her. "Disappointed, Parkinson?" He mocked her without  
meaning too, but couldn't stop it from slipping from his mouth viciously.

She actually took a step back away from him. "No-no... It's not like that." She looked at him like she was in pain.

"No... I'm sorry I said … well that." He said.

"It – it's fine, Neville." She hesitated. "I just – well I know things between us, not so good and... Look, I'm just going to go home." Pansy stated, sounding almost apologetic.

"Wait." He shook his head of his haze, the insane thought overtaking him. "Lets – lets have our date."

"Our date?" She questioned, giving him another one of her bizarre looks.

"Yes, the one at one o'clock?" he laughed.

She glared at him. "Alright then. Lets have our date then. Not at the tea shop."

"Where would you like to go?"

"Oh no, you said 'Lets have our date' that's you asking me out on a date, that's you taking charge. Attempt to charm me, Mr. Longbottom." And she gave him a pained smile, knowing she was tempting fate and not caring.

He looked her over again. He knew, he knew that she was not the same as she was in school.

The woman in front of him was not the girl who helped think up 'Weasley is Our King' or tortured first years for pleasure. Or, did she take any pleasure in it? She wasn't that girl who sneered at him, taunted him, called him fat and made fun of his nervous habits. When he looked into her eyes, he saw that she wasn't the pug-faced bully who held up him and his friends at wand point in Umbridge's office in 5th year. She had grown up into a beautiful woman with a sweet face in the past 8 years and that made her... and unknown. He had done some growing up too, and Neville, the Auror, did not like the unknown. He needed to be prepared.

He felt a dangerous smile spread across his face. "Very well then..."

Pansy felt her breath hitch at the sight of Neville smiling. He looked like a cat in the cream, way too satisfied for his own, for Pansy's own good.

He slipped a hand into her hers, and it was too smooth a move for the Neville that she was familiar with. Everything about him, was too smooth for the Neville she used to know.

She realized then, this was a whole different man. She didn't know him, regardless of the years they spent together in school. He tightened his grip around her fingers. The last time someone of the opposite sex had laid a hand on Pansy, other than Theo who graced her with occasional hugs, was when she was in school. Eight years of isolation had given her a slight sensitivity; his hand, rough and firm on her own hand, popped goose bumps all along her neck and down her arms. Call her crazy but she suspected some kind of magic was afoot.

Frowning slightly, she recalled a particularly harsh moment during their 7th year, and blushed unpleasantly at the thought of it, when she and several others of her Slytherin group had Neville cornered with a couple of other kids on the fourth floor corridor. Crabbe had the Weasley girl pinned against the wall and Malfoy had another blonde girl at wand point. And she had Longbottom stuck in the very corner, wand directed straight at his throat.

"Disappointed, Longbottom?" She sneered. "Caught you this time." Is what she had said to him.

She remembered Amycus praising her, and goading her into casting the Cruciatus Curse over and over on him and others of their little group. Unforgivable. 

Pansy shivered violently when looked up to the scars on his face. Guaranteed, she caused the ones on his face. She marked him for life. She had promised herself after school that she would never again use a wand like that again. And she hadn't. 

When Neville realized she was looking at his scars, which most people just ignored now, he couldn't help but comment. "You like them?" He gestured to his face, his scars, leaning in closer, his voice mocking. He smelled like green, growing things. Like lemongrass. And dirt. Pansy suddenly liked lemongrass a lot more.

She knew he was trying to intimidate her and stood her ground, ignoring the slight sneer he gave her. She tried to picture his face without the dark scars, tried to see smooth skin where he had gashes. She tried to see a straight nose where his had a slight crookedness. His right eye had most of the marks, slightly darker than his light colored skin. She couldn't imagine it and she didn't want to.

They were apart of him, every bit of it, and he was all the more handsome for them.

With the small touch of bravery she had, she leaned into him and said, " I hate how you got them, but... I kind of love them."

He barked out a laugh and tugged her from the dark alley. "Lets go then. I have a great idea for our date."


	3. She Almost Wet her Plants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Some adorableness ahead.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 3

She didn't trust that smile of his one bit. They walked hand in hand together down the main street of Diagon Alley, looking every bit like a couple on a romantic stroll. When they passed Witchy Tea Shop and Goods, Hannah Abbott was standing outside chatting with one of the other girls she had come in with, one of the witches she didn't recognize.

But she recognized Pansy right away and gestured to Hannah immediately, who turned around so fast Pansy was surprised she didn't get whiplash. Hannah's mouth dropped as she stared at Neville and Pansy's clasped hands. And they weren't the only ones on the street that were openly staring.

People stopped in their tracks and actually pointed at them.

When they walked right by Hannah and her friend, the blonde sneered saying, "Moving down in the world, Neville? Scraping the bottom of the barrel there, aren't you?"

Still strolling like nothing was wrong with the world, Neville simply said, "Moving up actually, my last relationship was like dating a banshee, couldn't get the damn witch to shut the fuck up." He left no room for argument.

Pansy watched Hannah leer angrily at Neville as the witch next to her gasped loudly.

"You'd think people never saw an Auror before." Neville grinned wickedly at her, as the Leaky came into view.

Pansy said, "Yes, Neville, that's why they're staring. Not because you're holding my hand, the known Death Eater's daughter, the girl who tried to-"

"Don't say it." He warned.

She looked away, but by then he was leading her through the back alley of the Leaky and through the inn. "I hope you're not thinking of getting a room for our date, Neville?" She kept her voice light, but directed it right at him.

"Ha – No... no, not this time at least." He shot her a sinful smile that she felt down to her toes. Just who the hell was this man? He was nothing like she remember.

"Well – Well, good. Very good then. Next time." She wanted to face palm. Did I really just say next time!? What the hell is wrong with me?

"Next time, you say?" Neville gave a wave to the girl behind the bar as they walked across the main room of the Leaky and emerged out into Muggle London. "Are you all right to Side-Along?"

Pansy nodded, biting her tongue before she said anything else inappropriate. Neville was doing that leaning thing again, reminding her of just how good he smelled, and took both of her hands in his. She felt a tug in her naval and with a pop, they both Disapparated.

They landed together, hands still clutched together, in what had to be the greenest place in Britain. Two greenhouses stood side by side, tucked happily away beneath three large trees; their leaves covering the greenhouses like lovers and the breeze playing happily through them, making them dance.

"Where are we?" Pansy asked as Neville tugged her hand along a stone path that led to the houses.

"On the edge of Longbottom Keep actually. Though I don't live here anymore. Gran's by herself up at the house but she insists that it's all mine. But I claim these." He gestured towards the greenhouses right before entering into the warm, humid climate of the greenhouse on the left.

Pansy had a hard time looking away from Neville, noticing he had a lightly colored scar on his bottom lip that she decided she wanted to taste. He grinned when he noticed the direction of her gaze but didn't say anything, just gestured around them.

She stopped in her tracks, Neville standing behind her. She finally tore her eyes from the man next to her and slowly turned, taking in every... well everything. Every color, every leaf, every sprig, every herb. Each place she looked she saw something new, some plant or flower or bush or tree. At first it seemed disorderly, but she recognized organized rows, she saw a system in the chaos. And was anything so beautiful? This had nothing on the greenhouses at Hogwarts. And it had nothing, nothing on her private garden she used for potion making at work. His gardening made her look like an amateur.

She stayed to the path and slowly took a few steps and tried to identify what she saw. Everything looked healthy and well taken care of. She glanced down and gasped. "Is this... did you..." She gestured and found herself actually tongue-tied.

"It is and I did." he responded proudly. Neville knelt down next to a springy green plant, two green vines coiled together like lovers entwined intimately. It was bouncing gently up and down. It supported a single dusty pink flower that looked to be a a mix of a rose and a tulip, but Pansy knew better. Pansy knelt down next to Neville, who was leaning on his elbow and his legs lying along the stone path, and came to rest on her knees.

"It's – it's gorgeous." She couldn't believe the luck.

"The legend says even a glance at a Charmed Lisianthus can produce true love."

"Oh it's better than that," Pansy excited at the very sight of the flower became breathless. "I've been wanting one of these for ages. I've been toying with a potion at work, attempting to find the ingredients to bring together well, help bring together, not create, er... -" She stopped and found herself blushing.

"Go on? I love it when my plants get girls excited. Don't stop now, Pansy. I think I'm seeing your true colors."

"Ah well... a potion that will help bring together soul mates - and it's just a little side project I've been working on, nothing substantial." She said quickly. "My theory is that it really depends on the color of the flower but I haven't been able to test it. I had one, a red one but it didn't work out and I haven't been able to get my hands on another one..."

"So you're working as a potion maker these days?" He asked, placing two fingers right above her knee and started running them in gentle circles.

Nodding she replied, "Yes, in Diagon Alley, Primpernelle's Everyday Potions?" Did it always feel that good when someone rubbed above the knee? Or was it just him? What else could he do with those fingers?

Neville looked away from her blush, but he kept drawing those circles. "I know where that is... er how long have you worked there?"

"Almost six years now."

"I didn't realize you knew Heather."

"I didn't realize you knew Heather." She countered back, still watching his fingers.

"I'm sure you remember that witch from the tea shop, Hannah?"

Snorting, "I do, big surprise. From what I heard, I'd venture you two were an item?"

He nodded. "Not – not anymore though. Heather and Hannah go way back. I think they are distant cousins or something but," he shrugged. "Heather obviously is not a big fan of mine."

Pansy thought to the quiet witch she worked for. Heather Primpernelle was niece to the famous Holly Primpernelle, the owner of Madam Primpernelle Beautifying Potions. When Primpernelle's father passed away, he left a decent sum of money to Holly, which allowed her to expand and buy another shop. When she started getting on in age, she let her niece Heather take over the day to day running of the place but while Heather was great with customers and running the business, she was dreadful at anything potions. That's how Pansy got hired. But even after six years of working together, Pansy wouldn't call Heather a friend.

Neville kept looking at her as she looked back at the flower, and she wondered what he saw. "I've found," he started. "The flower takes it's color depending on what you plant next it."

"So this isn't your first one?" Pansy asked, excited again.

"No, but it is the best one I've grown and the first I've tried planting a different flower next to it before it bloomed."

"That – that makes sense actually, it's a magical flower and it takes in what's around it usually. You see Lisianthus flowers in a lot of warm places across the world but rarely a magical one, a charmed one as they call it." He was nodding as she spoke. She looked around, but this particular flower was sitting alone, a good distance away from other plants. "So you planted it next to another flower and then moved it? What flower did you use?"

Their eyes met again and he grinned wildly. "Viola pansies actually, purple pansies."

She felt a blush on the back of her neck and thought immediately of the flower her mother picked her name from, saying the color of her newborn's eyes matched her favorite flower.

Neville turned his head towards her and quite suddenly, they were very close. The stones and ground beneath them was soft and comfortable. The fragrance coming from the Charmed Lisianthus was mixing with Neville's lemongrass smell, sharp and pleasant. She licked her lips and his gaze darted down to them.

"What do you think about our date so far, Pansy Parkinson?"

She blinked slowly. His lips were full and his breath was brushing over her own lips as he spoke. Were we this close before? Am I leaning in? "I am not not enjoying it."

"Not not enjoying it? Do the negatives cancel each other out?" He teased.

"I wouldn't want you to stop trying is all."

Their lips met finally, sweetly and gently. Fitting together like puzzle pieces. His breath was sweet and the pressure was perfect. He moved his lips softly back and forth, coaxing her into the kiss and leaving her absolutely breathless.

Holy shite... Pansy thought.


	4. Part of The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Irrational Gryffindor yelling ahead!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 4

July 29th, 2006 Sunset

Leaning against the big, brown door of her cottage, Pansy looked up at him, the man she had spent the last few hours with, kissing – well actually, aggressively snogging was a better description. But kissing aside, the two spent time talking about plants and potions and jobs and dreams. They explored his greenhouse and she was so excited to see his collection, pointing things out and talking about what she could make using some of his rarer herbs and plants. She was constantly worrying her lip with her perfect teeth, Neville noticed, especially when she was excited. He was confident this date would be labeled as successful.

"I'll leave you here then, with another kiss – if I might?" He leaned down and pressed their already swollen lips together for a lingering kiss that had Pansy sighing into his mouth, something she did often and he was starting to crave.

When they parted again, he stood up straight and smiled like an idiot. "I had a very pleasant time with you today, Miss Parkinson."

"And – and I also had a very pleasant time with you today, Mister Longbottom." Her brilliantly purple eyes, lined with black lashes bore into his own and he knew if he didn't leave now, he was likely to never ever leave. He wanted to kiss her for another couple of hours, kiss her face and her neck and – seriously, I'm late again! He thought. 

"Next weekend, maybe we can have that coffee date?" He asked, hooking his thumb into her belt loop of her jeans. "Take it – this – kind of slow?"

Biting down on her lip again, she nodded. The action caused silky bangs to fall into her eyes. Before she could push them away, Neville brushed them aside with the palm of his hand, which he then rested against her cheek.

"This is going to be hard, huh?"|

"Up for the challenge, Longbottom?"

"I could be persuaded." He replied with grin. "Are you up for it, Parkinson?"

"They don't call us snakes ambitious for nothing."

"I'm definitely up for it." He chuckled.

"I look forward to your owl, then... Neville." She smiled and turned into the door, entering her house.

Once the thick door closed shut with a gentle sound, Neville took a second to gather his breath. Flirting definitely came easier to him than it used to, but it took a lot to keep himself from flushing red. Taking his wand out, he check what protection she had on the cottage house. He was pleasantly surprised to see the effective wards she had on both the house and grounds and taking a quick second, added one of his own to her door knob. Satisfied she was protected, he stepped back down the stone path that led out past a wrought iron fence that bordered her lands. He Apparated out once he was clear of the wards that wouldn't allow him otherwise. He was impressed with the magic. For instance, Pansy could most likely Apparate in and out of her own home, but the ward that allowed her to do so wasn't of blood magic like the old Pureblood families usually used.

It was one of her own making, one that had taken serious wand work and research. It just added to his already growing knowledge of how much this woman had changed.

When Neville was 15 years old, Hermione Granger changed his life entirely. A lot of people could say that about Hermione. While tons of people could say Harry Potter saved their lives time and time again, Harry swore that Hermione was really the hero behind it all.

Neville believed it.

Neville was proud to be one of the people Hermione took time out of her day for.

Neville sat down on the floor in the Room of Requirement and tried to calm himself. He just read that morning Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped from Azkaban along with several other Death Eaters and it was one of the worst days of his life. He had fought back tears all day since he had read the Daily Prophet. That was when Hermione walked in with a pile of books and rolls of parchment.

"Neville," She cried out in greeting. "What are you doing in here? Are you okay? What's wrong with your eyes? What do you have in your hand? Will you help me out here?" She spun off questions quickly.

He just grinned nervously and helped her carry her books in, tripping slightly on the foot of a chair. After she was settled at the table in the corner of the room, Neville made to exit and leave her to her books. She had said, "Neville did that article today in the Prophet upset you?"

It shouldn't have shocked him by how observant she was. It was usually, well, her usual. He turned around and looked at her. Her eyes were kind and her smile was sad. So he answered truthfully. "Yes, it did."

Then she patted the cushion next to her and he sat down without question. "Tell me why, if you don't mind."

"I just don't like Bellatrix Lestrange is all." He answered and closed his eyes, picturing the nightmare that had haunted him for a long time now. Always, he was too young, too weak, to save his parents.

Hermione was silent for a little bit, her tongue was clicking against her teeth as she thought. "Neville... what happened to your parents?" She asked tenderly.

Neville let out a laugh. "Remember that do you?"

"Your parents are in St. Mungo's? Yes, I remember. I never wanted to ask, I wanted you to trust me enough to tell me yourself."

"Bellatrix Lestrange tortured them into insanity." He leaned back and sighed a sigh mixed with anger and relief. He had never said that out loud before.

Hermione didn't respond; instead, she put her hand on his and it stayed there while she picked up a book and read. Neville guessed it was close to half an hour of silence later when Hermione put her book down and looked at him.

"Neville, I want you to know that I'll always be your friend and that Bellatrix Lestrange deserves your hate. But I also want you to realize that if you spend all your time hating her, you won't have anytime to love the things you have." She smiled at him and held his hand firmly. "Just remember, Neville, some people you should never forget or forgive, and others you should. Don't cloud yourself."

Neville looked up at the blue ceiling and said, "I'm not sure what that means, Hermione. But thank you."

Hermione told Neville that some people he should never forget or forgive and others he should. He would never forgive Bellatrix Lestrange and was only sorry that Molly Weasley got to her first. But it was because of what Hermione told him, advised him, that he was able to forgive himself. He wondered about Pansy. He knew that on some level, he had already forgiven her, too. If there was anything the aftermath of the war taught him, it was that the actions of children should not haunt the memories of adults.

Rubbing the largest dip in his face, the biggest of the scars, he thought of the way she kissed him and wondered how the hell did they end up in that shop together.

Neville walked down the small sidewalk and then looked up at what he considered his second home: Hazleton Haunt. It was a cheery home, despite the name, and the current headquarters for the Order of Phoenix. Mrs. Weasley was the secret keeper. It was also the home of Harry and Ginny Potter. It stood on a hill surrounded by trees that seemed to shift around the house, covering and hiding it from view. He walked up the winding path made of weathered stones and pebbles and then knocked four times on the upper panel of the door, loud and hard, with his knuckles.

The door shimmered for a second before disappearing. He stepped into the small front room. It was a very small room that was only big enough for one person to fit in. It had no doors or windows and was completely blank. He stated loudly, "Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter is the savior of my memory." The door behind him solidified and then the wall in front of him shimmered similarly to the front door and then disappeared altogether.

In front of him was another small yet long room, but this room was warmer and homely. The familiar umbrella stand was sitting happily by the door on one side. On the other side of the door was a small side table with a bowl full of odd objects in it. The walls were a warm yellow color and abundantly covered with pictures, all moving around and smiling. There was a set of white wooden stairs on his right that led upstairs.

Neville walked passed those stairs and down the hallway and emerged into the kitchen. It was the largest room in the house. It was colored a light orange and had a tall ceiling. There was a line of cabinets, a stone oven, and an old fashioned ice box on the far side of the wall. Windows lined two of the four walls from floor to ceiling and a door that led to the backyard was on his left. There was a huge table in the middle of the room, rectangular and also wooden. It could hold over twenty people, Neville knew from experience. The wall to his right sported an island with more odd objects on it and many more photographs.

"Now what is going in here?" He asked joyfully as he looked around the kitchen table. There was a chorus of cheers and greetings as people stood up from their dinner to hug him. The first person to hug him Victorie, Bill and Fleur's first born. She jumped into his arms and he held her easily with one arm. Next was Teddy Lupin who attached himself to Neville's hip. One of his best friends, Ginny, walked up next to him with Harry. She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek and gave him a half armed hug. Harry pounded him on the shoulder with his hand and said, "Hey Neville, welcome to dinner."

Bill and Fleur were still sitting on one side of the table. Across from them were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and going around the table were the rest of the Weasley's. And in front of him was his best friend: Luna Lovegood.

She stood up gracefully, her incredible long blond hair dipped down to below her knees, and then kissed both his cheeks and then his forehead. "Neville, welcome to dinner. I brought rolls blessed by garden gnomes." She spoke mystically, smiled at him, and then sat back down into her chair.

Hermione and Ron were sitting on the far side of the table obviously bickering about something. He noticed Hermione give him a small smile before she promptly slapped Ron on the head.

"Hey everyone." Neville smiled down at Dominique, the second daughter of Bill and Fleur's and then back up to Harry. "I didn't mean to interrupt dinner." There was a collection of 'No!'s and 'Not a problem!'s, as expected. You couldn't interrupt dinner at the Potter's house.

He was pulled into a chair before he could say another word and a plate full of food was placed in front of him before the minute was over. He looked around the table starting from his right: Dominque, Victorie, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Percy, George, Fred II, Teddy, and then Luna was on his left. He loved them all. Yes, even Percy. He watched as they joked around and ate, as they laughed until they cried; they were a family and Neville felt very much a part of that family.

"Alright, who made these mashed potatoes?" George asked holding a bowl full of the white, fluffy substance. Everyone else silenced and watched him with interest and grins.

"That would be me." Ginny answered royally to a round of applause. "In fact, I made this whole meal!" She announced, gave a grand bow.

"Well. I only have one more thing to say then." George continued, grinning wickedly. "These are not only the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, but my guess, and I always guess right, is that they would be even better if you... WORE THEM!" He shouted and threw the mashed potatoes right at Ginny. They completely covered her head, face, and neck. George winked at his tiny son, obviously trying to imprint devious behavior on the small boy.

Everyone started laughing with wide eyes and happy faces. Harry stood up next and kissed Ginny's cheek, taking in a mouthful of the mashed potatoes and then swallowing. "He's right. They are better when Ginny's wearing it!" And then everyone started laughing even harder and throwing food.

A couple of hours later, the children were sleeping, and everyone else was sitting around and chatting.

"I just need more grandchildren, Ginny." Mrs. Weasley was complaining again, for the millionth time this month, er no, this week... day? Hour?

"I'll consider it." Ginny grinned, sipping from her glass while Ron groaned pathetically. Everyone knew Ginny had no plans for children yet, her career as chaser for the Holyhead Harpies came first. It had practically killed Mrs. Weasley that Ginny and Harry waited so long to get married.

Mrs. Weasley looked hopefully towards Bill and Fleur.

"C'mon, we've already had two. What more do you want from us? 10? 20?"

Everyone laughed a little. Mrs. Weasley's glance went to where George and Percy were sitting. They both shook their heads. "Mother really – not even married..." Percy shook his head again and then looked away awkwardly.

"I'm a bit busy with the shop and all mum." George said, giggling a bit when Percy mentioned that children scared him a bit and anyone he ended up marrying wouldn't be able to give him children.

That was when Mrs. Weasley turned onto Neville. "Neville, darling, when are you going to get married and have children?" All eyes turned onto him, most of them filled with humor. He saw Ron and Harry discretely high five behind Hermione's back. He glared at them playfully.

"I'll consider it." He copied from Ginny. His mind's eye flashed briefly to Pansy standing at her doorstep, her bangs pushed to the side and red lips swollen from over use. Then that small smile gracing her beautiful face. He would definitely consider her.

"Ohhh I want more grandchildren." Mrs. Weasley said happily and leaned against her husband.

"Walk down the line, dear. Charlie next. Then Percy." Mr. Weasley replied.

Percy moaned.

"Then the other children. After that, then you can hound people who aren't part of the family to get married and have children." Mr. Weasley laughed, sending an apologetic smile to Neville.

"It's okay Mrs. Weasley," Luna began. "Neville had a date today." Neville blanched. Her words were his bane. Everyone was looking at him curiously now.

"Luna, do you remember when I said not to mention that?" He asked giving her a hard stare. Of course, he couldn't be mad at her, he never could. He had mentioned his little coffee date in passing, before he even knew who he was meeting with. But the statement brought out the questioning.

"With who?"

"What kind of date?"

"Did you score?" That particular question was followed by a slap.

"Was she hot?"

"What did you do?"

"Did you give her flowers?"

Neville just shook his head, mouth firmly shut. He didn't want to hide Pansy, he just didn't want to admit he was dating again so soon after Hannah...

"Neville? Who is it? Why are you smiling like that?"

There was one thing he had to consider. Was Pansy the kind of girl who would be upset if he hid her from his friends? Either way, these people were most likely going to get the truth out of him. So he stuck with honesty is the best policy and told the truth, "I snogged Pansy Parkinson."

It was a bit blunt, but true.

There was complete silence and many things happened at once. Ron looked like he was going to be sick. Harry looked confused. Hermione looked worried. Ginny looked livid. He looked over to Luna; she looked like she normally looked, amused and delighted and somewhere else entirely.

But Ginny was the first to speak. "Are you kidding us Neville? It's a joke, right. Haha... ha?"

"Oh, no not at all. We were set up on a blind date actually. Went pretty well." He replied, crossing his arms and daring anyone to say something.

"Oh stop. Make it stop. I'm going to be sick." Ron said exaggerating, making a gagging sound.

Luna started humming something that sounded a lot like "Weasley is Our King" and Ron groaned again.

"It's not that bad." Neville made a face at Ron.

"Not that bad?" Ginny repeated, looking wild. "Do you – do I...I..." Her face started going red as she looked for the words she wanted to say.

"Ginny," Harry said, grabbing onto her arm. "Ginny, breathe. Take a breath."

She did more than that though. She slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "Parkinson!? Do you remember what she did to you?!" She spat at him.

"Are you talking about Bernard Parkinson's daughter?" Mr. Weasley asked slowly, the look on his face showed him to be deep in thought.

"I don't know what her father's name is." Neville stated. "Her mother's name is Denise though." He added after a second. "She's the one who set us up on a blind date after I ran into her in Diagon Alley."

"You knew who she was and you still went on the date?" Ginny questioned, still furious.

"Actually no, her mum's kind of crazy. She didn't tell me who her daughter was." Neville shrugged. Ginny stood up and reached over, putting a hand on his forehead. "Neville, are you feeling alright? Dizzy? Feverish? Imperiused?"

"I'm not under the Imperius curse, Gin." Neville said, pushing her hand away. "I did this on my own free will and I would do it again."

"I'm going to be sick."

"Her father was a Death Eater."

"Her father was killed by Voldemort."

"She wanted to sell out Harry!"

"She tortured Neville in our 6th year! Luna and I were forced to watch!"

"I'm going to be sick."

"This is definitely a trap. Using him to get to us, maybe Voldemort is back in England ..."

"She's Slytherin, a vile Slytherin that tormented us in school, Neville!"

"SHE WANTED TO SELL OUT HARRY!"

"She doesn't have the mark though..." Harry spoke softly, in deep thought. His statement caused everyone else to shut up and look at him.

"Guys!" Neville shouted kindly. "Stop. Freaking. Out."

"Freaking out?" Ginny repeated. "It's Pansy Parkinson!"

"I said I snogged her, I didn't say I was marrying her." He shouted back at her.

"IT'S THE SAME THING." She screamed at him, being irrational.

Everyone turned to look at her, all with weird looks.

"So, I married Pansy by snogging her?" Neville asked, grinning.

"Well, no. I just didn't have anything better to come back with." Ginny sat back down in her chair and looked down. "I still don't see how you could even associate yourself with her after what she's done to you."

"Yeah, eight years ago. She's not – trust me when I say she is different. We spent the day together."

"Ohh, I'm going to be sick." Ron groaned again and leaned over in his chair.

"Ronald!" Hermione cried. "Grow up, honestly. We have a lot of important things to discuss!"

"Honestly, woman! How many times do you say that to me daily? 10? 20? 100 times. Does it ever work? No. Maybe you should give up!"

"No I will not! You're acting like an immature child!"

"I'm not a child!"

"Could've fooled me!"

"It's Pansy Parkinson! She's right hideous for one and she tried to sell out Harry!" While he was clearly speaking to Hermione, Neville felt enraged. He had found the conversation to be hilarious- up to this point.

"Don't say things like that, Ron." He banged his fists on the table and glared sorely at his friend.

"Alright!" Harry shouted finally, standing up. The look on his face told Neville he was worried about him. Neville never got angry. Ever. "Neville, sit down man. Ron, stop with the name calling it's not going to get us anywhere. Ginny, relax please." He added noticing the beet red tint of her face and her uneven breathing. "She – Pansy isn't a threat and she isn't a Death Eater."

"It's not even about that, Harry." Ginny interrupted, looking up at him. "It's not about the fact that she's probably working for Death Eaters or she's a Slytherin. It's about her as a person, about what she's done." She ended by glaring at Neville.

"What has she done then, Ginny? You know thinking back to that year with The Carrows, I don't really remember her enjoying any of it, do you? And are you saying you don't like my face anymore?"

"What? Of course I like your face, Neville." Ginny stuck her tongue out at Neville and it siphoned off most of the tension in the room. "She still participated, she didn't have to do those things."

"Didn't she though? We were fucking kids fighting an adult war."

"She was still on the wrong side, mate."

"I'm passed it. I don't think... I don't imagine she wanted to be on that side."

"She's picked on every one of us during school." Hermione pointed out.

"She's spoiled and self-centered."

"She evil, Neville. Evil."

"She's not evil. Voldemort was evil. We were children." George said quietly.

"She isn't like she used to be. She's quieter now. I'm seeing her again next week."

"How would you know she's any different, you've only snogged her. Not married her, remember?" Ginny was still glaring at him.

"This is going no where. Where's the house unity? Draco Malfoy is my partner for Circe's sake, I could rely on him for anything. And Theodore Nott? What about him? Donating all that money to help war orphans and St. Mungo's? Big deal, Pansy's a Slytherin. Who cares? Didn't we decide to put aside house prejudice when we went back to repeat 7th year?"

"Well, of course we did Neville. We just weren't expecting you of all people to go out with her... of all people." Hermione said after a long silence. "Not that there's anything wrong with your scars, but it took intent to do that that kind of damage. You can't argue that."

"I – I forgive her. The two of us had a grand day, actually. She's different. She's... she's something." Neville admitted with a smile, thinking about sheets of raven colored hair and swollen pink lips.


	5. He Knows Her Tickle Spots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Alcoholic consumption and sneaky drunk Slytherins in this chapter!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 5

July 30th, 2006 Around 1 AM.

Holding her fourth, or maybe fifth glass of wine between her fingers, Pansy lounged comfortably on one of the many love seats in Theo's large informal living room. It was squishy and lime green and Pansy's favorite of the strange mix of furniture Theo decorated the room with. Her bare feet resting on the matching ottoman stretched and relaxed, making Pansy sigh with relief.

"Good party, Theo. I think we'll turn a decent profit."

"You certainly had them eating out of your hand. Those Pepper Up Potions were a hit, how exactly did you make them without the pepper?"

"Trade secret. " She looked down at her red pumps and said, "Why did I wear those blasted heels? There's few things I hate more than high heels."

Lying across a dark grey chaise, Theo shrugged swirling his firewhiskey before taking a sip. The ice made a clinking sound as it shifted in the nice crystal. "It's your due suffering for being late. Very very late by the way. You're lucky I am an excellent entertainer."

"Oh don't be sore." Earlier that evening, after Neville Longbottom of all people dropped her off from their date, Pansy had been greeted with several owl posts, one from her mother telling her she was meeting some old friends and wouldn't be available for tea for the following week. Which was very unusual but Pansy ignored it as just another crazy stunt from her crazy mother. The second one was from work warning her of a huge order that would be due on Tuesday. And finally one from Theodore Nott, her best friend, hastily written font asking her why the hell she was so, so late to his business dinner he put together for St. Mungo's in order to put some of her personal product up for sell?

"I'm not, I knew you'd be late."

Pansy, in the middle of taking a sip of wine, choked at his words and dribbled wine all down her blouse.

Raising a dark eyebrow, Theo said, "Something you're hiding, Pansy? I know you're not drunk, you hold alcohol better than men twice your weight."

"Not hiding, how did you know I'd be late?" She took out her thin Willow wand and Scourgified the red stain from her clothing.

"Because you are always late." He said laughing. "Now I know you have a secret though, tell me dear, why exactly were you late today? I know it's not because you were 'putting the finishing touches on the product'. You've had the demonstration batch done for weeks."

"It's not a secret." She drank deeply from her glass before holding it out to her best friend.

He reached to the coffee table and grabbed the bottle of red, pouring the remaining wine into her glass, the smooth liquid filling up to the rim.

Giggling, she said. "You don't have to get me drunk to figure out where I was."

"No, but I want you to have a headache tomorrow because you almost stood me up, I barely had time to get that owl off. And that blasted product manager from St. Mungo's hits on me every time I have her over. I mean, not that I brag about my sexual orientation, but even if I was straight, she is so not my type."

"Um, hello? Potion maker sitting right here. I can whip up a Sober Up Potion in my sleep. And, I've seen you deal with witches hitting on you for years so don't try to get any sympathy from me. "

"Potion maker, right. Certainly not a Master. Just a Maker." Theo sneered in her direction as he said it, the bitterness hitting Pansy right in the chest.

"Oh don't start with me, you know I've been applying for the program for years." And to no avail, the witch in charge of allowing applicants through the program was a smarmy, sweaty biased jerk off who had taken one look at Pansy, clearly remembering her face from The Prophet, and had informed her that they were out of available positions and maybe she could try for something else.

"Obviously you aren't getting aggressive enough. You need to let me help you. I have a lot more influence now than I did a few years ago. You know it's all politics." Theo made a flippant hand motion she knew meant how he felt about politics. He secretly loved it though, she knew. Unlike her.

"And you know how I hate politics and you know I don't need nor your help. I can make any potion, regardless of my title."

"You could double the prices of your potions if you had that title though, Pans. As well as get access to more ingredients. The whole process is rigged. Hopefully getting your product in use at St. Mungo's will help you get your name out into the world."

"Rigged?" She scoffed dramatically. "Rigged you say? Why I had no idea!"

"Don't mock me, you cheeky witch."

"Don't worry about it, Theo." They had had this argument so many times now, she was out of patience. "Eventually they will have to accept me into the program, there's not a lot of potion makers at my level... they just... paperwork gets lost... and there's always a new receptionist... and-"

"Stop," he interrupted her, holding up a hand. "I've heard all these excuses before. The head of the program is a stuck up bitch with major bias against anyone Slytherin, especially when that Slytherin is you -"

"- The girl who tried to sell out Harry Potter, trust me Theo. I know!"

"- Which is why you have to get a little aggressive about it, Pans. She won't accept you until you show some more spine."

"Snakes don't have spines."

"Sweet Salazar, you are going to kill me one day. Fine, go about it your own way. Just don't say I never tried to help you."

"Would I do that?" They each stuck their tongues out at each other before laughing.

Theo yawned loudly and Pansy sipped from her glass. She settled further into the cushions of the love seat, thinking of rough hands and eyes the color of the Atlantic. "I was late because..." she made a humming sound. Altogether, part of her was afraid the date hadn't actually happened. If someone had told her even last week that she would have gone on a date, a successful date, with none other than Neville Longbottom, she would have laughed her way into a permanent bed at St. Mungo's.

Because they hated each other in school and their 7th year had been absolutely horrible. She could vividly remember putting those scars on his face, appearing red and raw as he screamed. It was the last time she had ever cast an Unforgivable Curse.

"I was on a date if you really want to know. It went... very well and I got home much later than I expected. I completely forgot about tonight, honestly."

A second, two seconds passed. "A date!" Setting his drink down, Theo jumped up and started dancing. "A date! Praise Merlin! Not all hope is lost on your poor, poor soul Pansy Parkinson!"

"Oh! Shut it you!" She jabbed her foot out, attempting to trip the skinny man.

"How many years has it been?! Be still my heart, Pansy Parkinson went on a date!"

"You'll be the death of me, Theodore. It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal? You've become an old lady! You haven't dated in ages! You have to pass on those genes. No one else has eyes like that!"

"Wow, Theo you're sounding an awfully lot like my dear Mother. Should I start ignoring you before you begin sprouting off about heirs and grandchildren? Just because you aren't likely to have one..."

"In my position, I'd have to like girls in order to get a heir. And as you are aware my sweet friend, I do not like girls."

Giggling and starting to feel a bit tipsy, she got up from her beloved love seat and slid in next to Theo, pulling him down into the chaise, and cuddling into his side. "You and I could married. The Old Lady and the Gay Man. We could put a sign outside."

"Stop – my father is rolling in his grave right now." he said laughing.

"Our marriage would be all about having parties, good wine, and fabulous designer couches."

"Ha ha... stop... ha ha – Poor Thormund..."

"Remember that tone of voice he had whenever he disapproved of anything? 'No little child, I will not play with you. Stop drooling tiny baby, drooling is for peasants. Why are you breathing. Stop breathing'."

Straightening his face and sitting up a bit higher, Theo cleared his throat. In a deeper voice he said, "Theodore, you come from an Ancient and Proud Family. You will not muck around outside playing." His impression of Thormund Nott dead on. "Your mother is in charge of the design of this Manor, as long as it's all green and dreary and dark, like my soul. No you will not have tea with her."

Both laughing loudly now, "I'm glad his portrait is gone." Pansy said glancing at the open space of wall above the silent fire place. "Can you imagine what he would say if he had heard some of our conversations over the years?"

"Unfortunately I can." He nudged her affectionately. "He'll just have to settle for grave rolling. I've worked way too hard on this house to make it livable and not at all a deep dark hole."

"And a wonderful job you've done." Pansy said, clinking her wine against his whiskey glass. They both took a long drink.

"So, tell me about your date. I cannot wait another second. Do I know the guy?"

She shrugged and looked away.

"Don't play coy Miss Parkinson, give me all the juicy details." He said nudging her again in the side.

"Hey, you don't need to torture the information out of me. Damn you Nott, you know all my tickle spots."

"Tell me, tell-me-tell-me." He continued poking her, while she attempted to slap his hands away.

"Ah! Fine! Neville Longbottom!"

All movement stopped.

"Can – can you run that by me again? Did you just say -"

"Yes, Neville Longbottom." Pansy said breathlessly, clutching her side. "The famous Snake Killer, the Glorious Gryffindor, Auror and member of The Order of the Phoenix."

Theo eyed her and she met his gaze, refusing to blink and afraid of what he would say. He was her only true friend in this bitter world, a world that hated her because of words said in fear.

After a long pause he said, "Well, as usual, you have caught me completely off guard. I've seen him, you know, at events and such the past couple of years. He's looking good. Fit."

She drained the last of her wine and smacked her lips in his direction, feeling much better. Theo hitting on her sudden crush she could handle.

"Well, he's straight so stop looking."

"But his arms are huge, and his hands too... You know what they said about a wizard's hands right?"

She laughed and slapped him on the arm playfully, thinking she knew exactly what they said about wizard's with big hands.

Much later, after too many glasses of wine and too much laughing, Pansy snuggled into her bed at home. Part of her knew she would dream tonight. After everything that happened that day, memories of the past were just waiting to burst into her dreams, to remind her of her past she couldn't get away from.

8 years ago...

Pansy walked quickly, attempting to calm her ragged breathing. The study came into view, where her mother could usually be found reading or drawing. This particular room was Pansy's favorite, as it was the only one of the manor that had any color. Every where she looked, colors from pale yellow to bright red, sweet blues and plumy purples. Happy greens and oranges. All over the windows and furniture. Pansy's mother, Denise, sat in front of an easel, using her wand as a paint brush.

Pansy cleared her throat to announce her presence. She nervously walked further into the study, her expensive lilac robes flowing behind her, and she sat down directly in front of her mother. Nerves were bubbling in her stomach making her mouth dry. Where did she start? How did she tell her Mother...

"Pansy darling, how are you? I'm just lovely. I've just spoken to your father, he's -ahem- working at the moment. But he should be home by the time Bitzy finishes dinner. Do you have any plans for this evening?" She asked gently, yet clearly, not looking up.

"No mother. I have no plans." Pansy answered and bit down on her lip. Hogwarts was destroyed; it had been a couple of days since Pansy had been rushed away. It was only this morning when...

"I just wanted to show you something." Pansy choked back her tears, it was considered rude to cry in the company of others, even if it was her mother. Steadying her hands, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the Daily Prophet. She handed it over to her mother.

The page Pansy had read and reread several times was crumbling on the corners, but the text was as clear as day. Denise read it quickly, her expression remaining the same. After finishing, she smoothly folded the paper properly and set it down on the small coffee table in front of her. "Is this true?"

The nerves were boiling now. She had never been more terrified in her life when she heard the Dark Lord's voice warning them to hand over Harry Potter.

Denise stood from her seat, but before she could say anymore on the matter, a crashed sounded through the room as Yaxley, bandaged and bruised and bloody, burst through the door.

"Mrs. Parkinson! Your... husband... needs help, now. Come... quickly! The Dark Lord is ... he's here. Hurry along, now!" He pushed out before turning and rushing away. Pansy and Denise followed after him quickly, but not before Denise knocked the coffee table over on its side, a leg breaking off. The Daily Prophet flew into the air. As Pansy closed the door behind her, rushing off to her father, the Daily Prophet floated down to the ground, landing on a page that was crumbled and rippled. Face up, as clear as day, were the words, "Lavender Brown Tells All! The story about what really happened that fateful night at Hogwart's three days ago! Article Written By Rita Skeeter."


	6. Visions of the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: A flash back and an insane mama in this chapter!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 6

July 30th, 2006. Noon.

Pansy woke with a start, visions from the past weighing heavily on her heart.

Her dream floated before her eyes, morphing into a migraine. It had been a couple of days after the Dark Lord had attacked the castle, after Harry Potter had weakened him again. The sheer glee of the wizarding world had mixed with small voices of fear that Harry didn't completely kill the Dark Lord – again - ran rampant. That day her father had been killed, brutally, and her face had been printed in the paper as a Death Eater who sold Harry Potter out. Of course, as time moved on, there was no sign of Voldemort coming back, and the fear faded. Now she shook out her jitters and resisted the urge to curl back into the safety of her covers.

The memories she could usually hold back, but today... they felt alive and vicious. Determined.

Pushing back the puffy white comforter that usually offered sweet dreamless rest, she made her way across the room to her bathroom and washed her face. The memories of that damned day felt like a heavy cauldron on her chest, they were too much to just wash away with a little water.

With a little courage, she took the smallest steps she could out of her bathroom. A floor to ceiling window sat next to her dresser, covered in a thick light blue curtain that blocked out light. She pushed the curtain to the side and felt sunlight wash over her, offering a pretty view of her back yard and blue summer sky.

Sighing with relief, she turned and knelt down to the bottom set of drawers. The drawer she kept mementos and trinkets: an old photograph of her mother and father during their happier time, one of her and Draco Malfoy from a lifetime ago, and several of her and Theo over the years. A broken mirror that didn't show her reflection but her mother had given her once upon a time, several books and diaries, and precious pieces of family jewelry. All of it, important and priceless to her, all of it made her happy. Connected.

Except for one piece of paper. She pulled out the paper, crumbled and frayed at the edges, the yellow of the paper dull and worn, but the words we as clear as day.

Lavender Brown Tells All!

It's with great pleasure that this reporter gets to dish out the information on a tragic event that occurred at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just two nights ago.

Eye witness accounts tell me that many are dead, hundreds are injured, the school most of us attended in our youth is destroyed, the Minister of Magic is dead and stable sources say he was under the Imperius, and what else? Harry Potter, previously known as Undesirable Number One showed up three nights ago at Hogwart's with his partners in crime Ronald Weasley and Muggle-Born Hermione Granger. Together, they rallied up able bodies and evacuated as much of the school as possible before facing off with none other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"It was awful," the young witch Lavender Brown confessed to me, Rita Skeeter. "There were bodies everywhere, some of them friends I had at Hogwarts. Some of them were parents of people I had gone to class with! And the screaming was like a nightmare, Rita." This was the first of many gruesome and horrible descriptions Ms. Lavender Brown was able to provide for me about the event that took place.

What exactly happened? And what did the legendary Harry Potter have to do with it?

While our hero could not be reached for questioning, I, Rita Skeeter, was able to get first hand, detailed accounts of the events that occurred. Ms. Lavender Brown started off with this: "The teachers woke up all of us, you know, the students, first. No one really knew what was going on. Next, we all went into the Great Hall. A lot of the younger students were really scared. After everyone had gotten to the Great Hall, we heard him. You know, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He must have been in the forest or something, his voice echoed across the grounds. It was terrifying. He told us that we had one hour to surrender Harry Potter to him, and we would all live."

I asked her, "What were you thinking in that moment?"

"Well, of course, I was scared. And I was thinking that Harry Potter didn't even come to school that year. He was known for breaking the rules and following his own path, I really wasn't surprised that he didn't show up for our last year."

"What happened next?"

"Oh, that was when it got really interesting, if you know what I mean. Professor McGonagall was telling us that they had a way to evacuate the school before most could get hurt but that was when Harry entered the hallway. And I was thinking 'Wow! It's Harry! He's here to save us.' And then the worst thing happened. I always knew there was something up with that Parkinson girl, at that moment, she stood up and pointed her wand at Harry, telling him to turn himself in or else she would do it for him. And that's when she flashed her mark for everyone to see. It was so scary!"

Maybe you don't know of the girl Ms. Brown speaks of. It was none other than Pansy Parkinson, daughter of known Death Eater Bernard Parkinson and his wife Denise Parkinson. Something else the public is soundly unaware of, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named accepts very few females into his inner circle, branding them with the dreaded mark. For a 17 year old witch to be branded would mean serious dedication to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's cause and serious wand skill with the dark arts.

Pansy Parkinson, whose whereabouts are unknown, would have had done major planning for years to infiltrate Hogwarts, a school which has been proclaimed the safest place in Britain on multiple occasions.

"It's not hard to put the pieces together." Ms. Brown assures me. "Me and Parvati overheard Ginny Weasley, girlfriend of Harry Potter, saying that Harry was forced to come to Hogwarts that night because someone had tipped off He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, when in reality Harry wasn't ready to do whatever it was that he had to do."

What did our Hero have to do? It had been rumored for years now, ever since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returned to our world, that Albus Dumbledore (deceased as of last June- Read more about the life of Albus Dumbledore in my biography of Albus Dumbledore called The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore) had been working on a plan for total eradication and that happened to include the young and reckless Harry Potter.

What was the plan? While no one knows, we can easily conclude that Harry's plan was cut short by the Death Eater that had the inside information in Hogwarts: Pansy Parkinson.

"I guess we got lucky though." Ms. Brown goes on. "Harry came and did something to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, because he's gone again, right?"

Indeed, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is again gone, by the hands of Harry Potter who has managed to escape death for a second time. But is he gone for good?

The questions are stacking up, where do the answers lay? Harry Potter had a plan to kill off He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but if his plans were cut short, then does he still have work to do? Is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named still out there? My sources say yes. He is still out there, only weakened once again.

Ms. Brown states, "I just wish Parkinson didn't sell out Harry, if only he had been able defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for good. I don't even want to imagine what it's going to be like in the next few months or even years..."

But how much more can the Magical Community take? Living in fear until He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rises again? Until He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named takes over the Ministry again? How long before everything repeats itself and we all feel the fear and pain of an evil wizard again?

And what insight from Ms. Brown, if Pansy Parkinson hadn't sold out our Hero Harry, would He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named be gone for good? If we live in fear again, scared for our families, questioning a government and its actions, clueless as to what to do in such a dire situation, who are we to blame? Clearly, Parkinson has some part in this. Her actions have cost us more time, living in a world with a man we all loathe and fear.

The Battle of Hogwart's will be one that goes down in history, a battle that signified an almost deadly blow to both sides, good and dark. While everyone tried to pick up the pieces of what's left, one reporter can't help but ask one question: Where is Pansy Parkinson?

The article filled up pages, but the front page was a picture of her, looking particularly pug-faced and shooting a nasty look at someone in the distance. Conveniently, she was wearing her long school robes, her arms completely covered. Otherwise the story would've been busted, as Pansy never became a Death Eater. Her arms were free of the mark Draco had to bear. And Pansy, pulling her wand out on Harry? Threatening to take him to the Dark Lord herself? Serious wand skill with the dark arts?

"Give me a break, my wand is made of Willow...everyone knows Willow doesn't work well with dark magic." She sighed and buried the article, envisioning herself tearing the damn thing up instead. Years it had been since she said those words. She had been so scared and now she lived with the consequences of that fear. She thought bitterly about the Potion Master's program she applied for every six months, like clockwork.

Pansy wasn't a Death Eater, but her father had been one. Bernard had been wealthy, good looking, and a quick study with the wand. He had been raised to observe ridiculous Old Family traditions. And he had been very good friends with Lucius Malfoy, and at one point, he had been very in love with his untraditional wife...

Knock Knock KNOCK!

The rushed tap at her door startled her and Pansy had her wand out quickly, which had been on her bedside table. She didn't even remember picking it up... did she pick it up? She hadn't even moved.

Blowing out breath, she told herself how silly she was acting and peered down the stairs that led from her room to the bottom half of her small cottage, over the balcony that separated her room from the high ceiling space of her living room. The clock on the wall read half past noon.

Throwing on her house robe and putting away her wand, she made her way downstairs and peered through the magical keyhole she had installed. It had cost an arm and a leg, but it stripped away any enchantments or disguises like Polyjuice Potion. She saw cloaked woman, face hidden by the hood, and bright red hair falling in front of her shoulders.

A delicate voice floated through the door to Pansy.

"Mother?" Pansy opened the door and allowed space for her mother to walk in.

"I needed your opinion on my new hair color!"

"New hair color? Again? How was tea today?" Pansy closed the door after her mother swept into the house quickly, Denise's expensive cloak sitting well on her shoulders. She watched as the hood dropped and revealed the absolute brightest red hair Pansy had ever seen.

"Mother..."

It wasn't natural at all. It wasn't strawberry, it wasn't scarlet; it was bright. It was obnoxious and clashed horribly with Denise's tan skin.

She sighed. "I can't keep up with your trends mother, but I commend you all the same."

"Pansy don't be such a downer. It was time for a change anyways, I'd been blonde for almost a whole week!" Denise hung her cloak up and took the time to take off her shoes, setting them neatly by the front door. She walked over to Pansy's open faced cabinets and started rummaging around.

Pansy sat down at her dining table knowing better than to try to interrupt Denise, even as she wanted to tell her mother she had been blonde for almost a year now. It was several minutes before Denise said another word. She made tea, filling the pot by hand and setting it on the old fashioned gas stove Pansy loved having in her kitchen. They waited patiently for the water to boil, Denise setting out plates and placing scones in front of Pansy, who was wondering exactly where those pastries came from.

But it felt peaceful to Pansy, reminding her of a time when Denise was 'all there' in her head. Always in control and yet her mother used to be spontaneous. Graceful and elegant she was the perfect socialite wife, but she had a creative streak in her, a passion Pansy never received. She had always aspired to be more like her mother, wanted the cool confidence Denise radiated naturally. Denise always wore a gentle smile and worked with her hands easily. She made anything look easy. But that was before... before...

While pouring the tea, Denise look bewildered for a second before smiling sadly. She had a small eye twitch and then jerked her hand from Pansy's as if it were fire. Her voice changed when she spoke, a crude and harsh sound that was still foreign to Pansy's ear. "Just what do you think you're doing, you slag. Come into my house and what? Beg for money? What do you want from me?!"

Pansy held back the flinch, barely. And while she was pushing down the hurt of having her mother speak to her in such a way she knew what to do. "Denise Parkinson! You will NOT talk to me that way!"

Denise was breathing heavily but she sat down after a moment and glared. "Denise?" She whispered, seeming confused. "Who's Denise? Where is my mother or Bernard? And – and my flower ... Denise... I'm - "

"Remember me? I'm Pansy." Tea poured, she grabbed two spoons and began scooping sugar into their cups.

"Of course I remember you, Pansy. I have to tell you something." Denise said urgently.

"Sure, that's why I invited you over Mother." It was easier to go along with it instead of fighting.

"Right I was supposed to have you over for tea today, but I – I needed you to stay away because... he is in the house."

"Who is in the house?" Pansy asked bewildered.

"There was a young man, but I had seen him before. A long time ago. I think he wants something from me, but then he came."

"Who are you talking about, Mother? Denise! Tell me what is happening?"

"Oh –" shaking her head, red hair rippling, Denise's voice changed back to her usual delicate voice. " - oh no, nothing is wrong my baby girl. Tell me of your date yesterday. Did you find each other? Wasn't he so tall?"

Dismissing the whole conversation as just another day in the life of her crazy mother Pansy sipped her tea and told her mother all about her oh-so-tall date.


	7. George Knows How to Party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: More alcohol consumption, drunken pirate songs, and Bloody Baron's soggy pants ahead!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 7

July 30th, 2006

The Burrow was literally shaking from the loud bass amplified by magic. The band George Weasley hired was going to bring down the damn house.

Neville remembered vividly Ginny and Harry reassuring him that, no, his birthday party wasn't going to be too crowded. Just family, close friends, and maybe a co-worker or two. No, nothing major was planned, just Mrs. Weasley cooking dinner and maybe a few drinks would be passed around. No, of course we aren't going to do anything crazy.

What a load of utter dragon dung. Of course he should've known better. When he showed up for his own birthday party in a nice set of dress robes and a bottle of wine for Mrs. Weasley, he was instead greeted by a wild party in full swing. Harry Potter refused to have any sort of large gathering for his birthday... so their shared friends took it out on Neville instead. Every. Year. 

Neville stopped counting party guests at 100. There was a rock band and an area set up out in the back for dancing. There was a chocolate fountain where chocolate frogs lounged and jumped out at anyone who walked by. There were enchanted streamers and confetti that followed people around when they reached what George determined was optimal party cheer. Mrs. Weasley had charmed a champagne bottle to pour endless amounts of the fizzy drink and Ron was begging her to teach him how so he could do the firewhiskey bottle as well.

Hermione had a pleasant alcoholic induced blush and at one point, threw off her shoes and started dancing wildly with Draco Malfoy of all people. When the song ended with a loud guitar strum, she threw her arms around the tall Auror and kissed the hell out of him much to the surprise of everyone, including Draco. But then everyone cheered.

Neville went from party guest to party guest, hugging and shaking hands. He won an intense round of exploding snap, in which everyone then did a shot. He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and danced with Ginny and Luna. Hermione and Draco had tried to sneak off for a bit of inappropriate behavior in the tool shed only to find Mister and Misses Weasley already occupying the space and doing things neither of the younger couple would ever do.

Garden gnomes were running for their lives and the ghoul in the attic was groaning that they all needed to settle down.

It was a few hours later when, feeling tipsy and giggly, Neville was pushed up on the stage between songs and the crowd demanded he make a speech.

"Alright – alright!" He said, standing up straight and looking out over the crowd. He drained his drink to cheers and said, "You all want me to do a speech when you know I'm absolute garbage at this kind of thing! Well then... it's my birthday and I want to thank everyone for coming, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley for hosting, and Harry and Ginny Potter for setting this 'Little Shindig' up." He turned towards his friends and continued. "Just family and a few friends huh?" Everyone started laughing and cheering again, clapping Harry and Ginny on their backs. "I can't imagine what you're going to do for Harry's birthday if you put this together for mine." More cheering and Harry's face got impossibly redder.

"In the spirit of drunken birthdays, because yes I am very drunk," Luna let out a loud 'woo' at his admission. "I think we should celebrate with a little tune... yes I am referring to the great birthday song of 2003, I believe a little drunken singing is in order!" He turned his grin to his closest friends, cheers and laughter erupting from the people who had been there. They pushed Harry, Ron, George, Draco, and Percy up onto the stage with Neville. Though they were all objecting, they were smiling too.

Lacking any coordination, because they were all truly hammered, they all grabbed each other around the shoulders and started singing, half of them starting on the wrong verse. Laughing they had to start over, but then it was really magical. 

July 31st, 2006

His Gran was right, it was going to be a long, long day. He recalled through a foggy haze when his grandmother left the party last night, patting him on the head and telling him how very proud she was. Then in that stern voice she expertly wielded said, "Don't you dare drink too much tonight. Birthday or no, you still have responsibilities to tend to in the morning."

Well try telling that to any one of those damn Weasley's! He thought with a yawn then a smile. His 26th birthday had been the best of his life. Even if he woke up late and realized he didn't have any thing to take for his hangover. He vaguely remembered getting off the stage after his drunken pirate birthday song and the group of them stumbling back into the Burrow, laughing and making a mess. Gods we are all idiots...

Thankfully, this particular Monday was fairly mellow. He caught up on some paper work and laughed at a few gag memos some of his co workers sent him, already praising his birthday party as the best of the year. He loved being an Auror, but when everything was straightened up and paper worked filed, he longed to be in his greenhouses tending to delicate petals and furthering his knowledge of all things plants.

Instead of de-flooding the mail room on level 3, which happens every Monday without fail, he could been tending to his lovely Charmed Lisianthus, especially now they he knew how interested Pansy was in it for her potion. He didn't even think twice about letting her use it.

Completely lost in thought about a certain Green-Winged Orchid he was trying to nurse back to health, Neville missed the moment his partner staggered into their office. Looking thoroughly tumbled and wearing the clothes he'd probably worn to the party yesterday, Draco Malfoy looked a right mess.

"Oi!" He cried out, stubbing his toe on the corner of his desk. "Who the fuck moved that there?"

"Malfoy, you put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it so Harry and Ron would quit moving it to random places. Like the girl's bathroom. On the 5th floor. Right next to the tampon -"

"OKAY LONGBOTTOM, SHUT UP ALREADY! I KNOW!" He spat and flopped into his chair angrily.

"You did ask!"

"That doesn't mean I wanted an answer," Draco gave Neville a very pointed look, one that told Neville he needed to shut up. "The question is called rhetorical. Get with it, Longbottom."

"Get with what, exactly? I might be a little lost since I was actually here on time, and therefore didn't get any sleep."

Draco's mouth parted slightly and his eyebrows scrunched up, giving him the appearance of a madman. "Does it really look like I got even a minuscule amount of sleep, Longbottom?"

"Obviously, more than I did."

"I had a witch to entertain, certainly no time for sleep last night."

"You took Hermione home with you then?" Neville asked, barely containing a smile. Those two had been flirting relentlessly for months now, completely denying each others attraction. Who knew a little champagne would get them to loosen up so much? 

"I wouldn't kiss and tell, why are we gossiping like girls? But of course I took her home with me."

Snorting, Neville turned back to the parchment he was supposed to be filling out and not thinking about his greenhouse. Several minutes went by without any conversation, and they worked in the companionable silence that had taken a few years to set in place. When Neville had first became an Auror, he had hoped to work with Harry and Ron. They were the ones who got him into the program to begin with. But when his Supervisor, Idiot McGee (real name Samuel McGee) paired him up with Draco Malfoy, Neville just about quit on the spot. Harry had just looked confused and Ron had made gagging sounds at the news.

But after a few years of harsh words and insults, throwing fists around a few times, and numerous Order meetings, Malfoy had become one of Neville's best friends. Not that either of them would ever admit to it, though.

"Hey I wanted to ask," Neville began. "Do you remember Pansy Parkinson?"

Whatever Malfoy expected from him, it wasn't that question. The blonde dropped his quill and swiveled in his chair so fast he almost fell over. "Of course I do. We dated briefly in school, but we were friends for a long time. Haven't talked to her in ages. Why? Did she pop up in a search?"

"No no, nothing like that. I had a date with her on Saturday."

Mouth dropping, eyes going wide, Malfoy looked nothing short of completely surprised. "You're messing!"

Neville just shook his head. "I'm seeing her again on Saturday. Any advice?"

"Bloody Baron's soggy pants. Does anyone else know?"

"I told most the guys at dinner on Saturday."

"Oh man I knew I should've gone."

"Ya I think Ron almost threw up."

"Aww don't tease me, Longbottom. So they didn't take it well, I guess? Damn Gryffindors."

"You got that right, it was kind of a nightmare. They will come around though, I mean, you're still here..."

SMACK.

A note hit Neville in the face right at that moment and he took a second to look at it with the annoyance he felt. Then he unfolded it and read it aloud, "'MAIL ROOM ON LEVEL 3 FLOODING, PLEASE HEAD TO LEVEL 3 TO BEGIN FLOOD RELIEF', damn. It's early today. Want me to get it?" He stood up and tucked his wand gently into his robes.

"Fuck yeah. I'm pretty sure it's Melody Crews who keeps flooding the damn room. Every time I show up to help she's all over me, whispering some kinky shit into my ear. She knows The Idiot always sends one of us to do the clean up."

"Why don't you take her up on her offer then?" Neville shot a grin his way.

"You know damn well why Longbottom! That is one crazy witch I won't even deal with. Remember when she was obsessing over the Weasel?" Draco's face contorted with horror as if he was reliving the memory. "She poisoned 20 chocolate frogs with a bad batch of Lust Potion #9, and laid them out for him to find. He ate ALL of them in one sitting and had to be rushed to St. Mungos. No, thank you. You can definitely go deal with that one. You think the moron would've learned better by now."

Neville just laughed, making his way out of the office. "Don't forget you're buying lunch today. You can fill me in on everything you know about Slytherin's."

He arrived at the Level 3 Mail Room and immediately spotted Melody Crews sulking around, holding her robes up trying to keep them from getting wet. She looked thoroughly disappointed when Neville showed up instead of Malfoy, but helped nonetheless. The room was soaked, water a foot deep in some places. He saw helpless memo's drowning, the edges of the paper flapping helplessly in the water.

"Longbottom." She said when they were finished.

"Crews." He returned.

"Where's that prat of a partner you got?" She asked as she cast a drying spell on her socks.

"I hope he's actually finishing up paper work or doing anything productive back in the office. Why don't you go check up on him, I know he said he had something he wanted to ask you. Something about, what was it? Getting tea on Friday? I'm not sure." Neville smiled at Melody when her face lit up and she ran for the lifts.

He wasn't sure if Draco would kill him, or Hermione. But he suddenly felt a lot better.


	8. The Past, The Past, The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real Warning: Flashback with violence, dark curses, Unforgivables, character death, torture ahead! Be warned!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 8

August 4th, 2006

Not one, not two, but three - three very colorful and hard to get out of her work robes kind of potions had exploded on Pansy today. Tucked away in a small corner of Diagon Alley, the potion's shop Pansy worked at sat like a small slice of heaven. Any potion you needed? Pansy could whip it up in a jif. But she didn't have to deal with any witches or wizards looking to give her a hard time. Heather Primpernelle, owner of the shop and niece to the famous Madam Primpernelle, ran the shop's day to day business: dealing with the customers and the money. Pansy just made potions. She could stay in the back all day and only usually came out for lunch.

But today? Oh no, after not getting any sleep, and after dealing with Denise's crazy antics again this morning, unstable Pepper Up potions and Ear Wax removal salves were just the thing Pansy didn't want to deal with. After changing into a spare set of work robes and folding the sleeves up so she could get back to work, Pansy realized with a sigh she was too distracted to make any thing and needed food pronto. She informed Heather that she was going to lunch early and would be back shortly. Heather just nodded and went back to her Witch Weekly.

Slipping out the back way, she rested against the stone of the building and enjoyed the strange kind of silence she only heard while in the back streets of Diagon Alley. Far off, yes, she could hear the rings-a-dings of shop's bells and then owls at the Emporium whooing and twittering. But back here, only wet stone and a small, empty pathway met her. It was glorious. Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths and finally let the thoughts come. Thoughts she had pushed back all morning.

Denise was going to kill her one day.

It was a feeling she just had. Like a knowing. Every day Pansy witnessed another slip up, another 'episode', her mother just an echo fading before her. Her mother's beauty was deteriorating, and her memories were failing with every passing day. One day, her Mother would be gone. And someone else would stand before Pansy, someone with murderous intent. She had seen the same look this morning, when Denise slipped away, and the stranger's voice came out. The look in her eyes was so alien and hostile and dead.

The worst thing was, Pansy couldn't blame her mother for her mental state... after everything that happened to her...

And Pansy couldn't help it as the memories took over her.

May 5th, 1998

Rushing into her father's study with Denise, Pansy came to an abrupt stop when she saw what was waiting for her. The usually warm and welcoming room was destroyed. Books shredding themselves, the desk over turned, curtains ripped from the windows, the study was in chaos. And her father...

Lucius Malfoy lay on the ground in front of them, crying out, "My son... my son..."

Yaxley hadn't stopped, he rushed forward to Bernard and held his head up as his body twitched and writhed in pain.

The dead body of Rodolphus Lestrange lay in the corner, bleeding out from the eyes and ears. Half of his torso was missing.

In another corner, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy huddled, clinging together like they would be separated at any second. Both of them bruised and battered badly.

And in the middle of the room half stood, half floated a partly solid, partly wispy form she recognized as The Dark Lord. A strange sound seemed to echo out from him, a howling rage-filled sound that curdled her blood and made her want to vomit. In it, she heard a sadness she had never known and at the same time knew intimately. She heard a sharp, piercing anger in it as well. It carried a soul shattering feeling to it, a haunting effect that made her want to turn away and also curl up in it, like it was calling to her, luring in it's prey.

The Dark Lord turned and Pansy met his eyes at that moment. And she knew Lord Voldemort wasn't going to stop until everyone and everything was dead. She knew in that moment, he would never be defeated... She was terrified.

But one single gasp muted out all the other sounds of the study. Her father... her father was dying. She looked towards him, seeing her mother collapsed next his body, clutching his hand in her own. Pansy felt something akin to knife slice through her.

"My... wife... my... my daughter... please..." His strong voice was reduced to a whisper. His eyes focused and unfocused on Denise. "Please..."

The Dark Lord look venomous at his words, but he couldn't seem to say anything or fully control his movements, so Pansy timidly walked to her father. She had never known fear like this before. Kneeling down, she placed a shaking hand on his shoulder.

"Father? I'm right here..." It was too much, she couldn't say anything else. His crumbled body looked as if it had been beaten badly and then beaten again.

"I love... I love both of you... please... please remember..." Bernard gasped and his back arched upwards.

"Love?!" The word echoed around them. The sound was excruciating, the voice that came from Voldemort like a hiss. "My Death Eaters don't love!"

Pansy looked around and saw the Malfoy's still clinging together and covering their ears. The sound coming from Voldemort was awful. Like nails on a chalk board, it made her cringe, even though it wasn't loud, it went straight to her. And she saw him raise his wand...

Lord Voldemort cast a spell, green flashing bright for a split second, and Lucius died throwing his body in front of his wife and son, his eyes looking on his family in his final moment. Narcissa cried out and clutched Draco tighter against her body. Another spell, a flash of green, and Yaxley fell into a heap, his eye's still opened in surprise.

"You all think to DEFY me!? The Greatest Wizard to ever live? The one who defeated Dumbledore! I killed Harry Potter! I will rise again! They cannot kill me! I will never die. You cannot kill LORD VOLDEMORT!" His ghastly, deformed body moved towards Bernard; the solid side taking a step, the misty side floating like it was trying to keep up with the solid side.

"Bernard, so faithful you were... where was my faithful servant when his master needed him most? Hiding like a coward in his home while his fellow friends died and his master defeated... no… no. I wasn't defeated… I am the master of DEATH." He wheezed and the haunting quality of his voice chilled Pansy to her bones. She was terrified of this thing. "Bernard, I gave you a gift a long time ago. Do you remember what I gave to you? What I bestowed on you for your loyalty?"

Bernard made a pathetic sound, his face was losing color, his body still shaking. "I gave it... I gave it to my daughter... Thought it was very valuable..." He focused on Pansy with terror filled eyes. "She gave it to a friend when she was young... punished her... but never got it back... my lord..."

Pansy held her breath. She had no idea what her father was talking about but didn't want to give anything away. She didn't know what to do... she couldn't think of a single, coherent thought. She was sure they were all about to die.

Voldemort turned his eyes back on Pansy, and if she thought he was enraged before she was wrong. He raised his wand, Bernard's Ashwood wand, his arm disfigured. The look in his eyes... murder..."I will destroy you little girl, unless you tell me exactly who you gave that mirror to! I WILL LIVE ON."

Terrified and confused beyond anything she knew, she just shook. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something go up in flames and a book shelf fell over. But The Dark Lord never flinched, didn't make any movements. He looked straight into her eyes and held his wand steady.

"Tell me LITTLE GIRL! Crucio!"

All year she had been using the same spell on others, inflicting this on others... and gods, she wanted to die. Her bones were boiling, her blood searing her, fire in every bit of her body. She screamed. She screamed loud and when it faded, found herself on the floor. Bernard was screaming, and with him Denise. She saw the look on her father's face, like he had failed her. But she was the one who failed him and she couldn't do a thing about it.

"CRUCIO!" The thing that was Lord Voldemort called again. Again her body bucked and she screamed and screamed as fire lit through her veins.

"Are you ready to tell me what I want to know now? Do you need more persuading?" The half man stood over her, his voice shredding her, his magic tearing her into pieces. She blacked out, but when she came to, she figured only a minute or so had passed. Narcissa was crouched in front of Draco, was he dead? Or just unconscious? Narcissa had her hands together in pray position, begging the Dark Lord. He was standing before her, his wand lazily waving in the air like a snake charming it's prey.

"My Lord... my Lord... she doesn't know anything, she's – she's a good pureblood, she would not disobey you..." Bernard's voice broke through the haze of pain. Where ever Pansy had landed after the last Cruciatus Cruse, she looked up and looked into Narcissa's eyes. So much fear.

The Dark Lord turned again, this time to Bernard. "Legilimens!"

At the spell, Bernard's body convulsed. The Dark Lord made a sound of rage and flicked his wand, Bernard's body collapsing into the floor. "You hide the truth from me, Bernard! From your MASTER! You think to shield your memories from me?"

"CRUCIO!" He turned his wand back onto Pansy.

The pain was worse than before. This time like ice invading her veins, turning her to stone, pain radiating outwards instead of inwards - but it still hurt. When it finally stopped, she laid panting and crying on the floor. Then "Legilimens!"

He was in her mind, going through memories of her childhood, and it hurt. He was an intruder, with prickly thorns for hands, wading through her memories and shoving everything else aside.

In the distance she heard her mother's voice, "Expelliarmus!" And the Dark Lord was gone from her mind and Pansy looked up to see her mother shaking with fear, a wand pointed at the Dark Lord. He looked livid. He snatched the wand from her grip.

"You... you insolent wretch! You dare turn your wand on me? Avada Kedavra!" Green flashed again, but with a sudden grace, Bernard pulled his wife down and blocked the spell with his body, which went limp and fell over Denise.

Not knowing who was screaming, Denise or herself, Pansy watched as the life left Bernard's eyes. Denise, trapped beneath the body of her husband, let out raking sobs and screams and the sounds mixed with Pansy's own.

Her father... her father was dead... this couldn't be...

Then, a cold, fleshy hand gripped her jaw and forced her gaze into his snake eyes. "I will kill her next, your pathetic excuse for a mother, then I will hurt you over and over until you tell me what I need to know... you will not survive after I am through with you." She couldn't decide which was worse, when he yelled or when he whispered. "I will get the truth from you. Legili-"

"PROTEGO!" Pansy yelled, her wand gripped in her hand suddenly. The force of the two spells knocked everyone back. Pansy felt her head bang against the hard corner of a table, or maybe a book shelf, but the pain was nothing compared to what she experienced earlier at the Dark Lord's hand. She thought she had glimpsed some of his memories, she thought she saw Harry Potter and Dumbledore, but it was gone almost instantly. The lingering feeling ate at her insides, trying to tear her apart.

Narcissa stood up, Bernard's wand clutched in her hands. She looked at Pansy, Pansy barely registering the look in her eyes before she turned her own Willow wand, not knowing what else to do, on the Dark Lord. Together, the two women cried, "Avada Kedavera!"

There was a bang, a flash of bright green light, and the fleshy part of the Dark Lord disintegrated into ash, the wispy smoky form with bright red eyes lingered before floating away quickly through the broken window and with it, the soul crushing sound.


	9. She Has Pink Lips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Yelling and a bit of physical violence, and sweet, sweet kissing at the end.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 9

August 4th, 2006

Overcome with memories from the past, Pansy worked on her breathing and fought herself to get out of the loop of blood and death that played in her head. Growing up with Bernard had been tough, to put it lightly. As a young child, Pansy was terrified of him. He was quick to take a belt to her and even quicker to chastise Denise for not giving him a son. But as she grew up, he grew older. His hair faded to white and the lines on his face sagged until all his energy was put towards bird watching from his study and reading. When Voldemort came back in her Fourth Year he couldn't be bothered with old, frail wizards like Bernard and he was pushed aside.

But his age didn't save him in the end.

The image of her father's body being hit with green and falling limp haunted Pansy ever since it happened.

She couldn't push the memory away so she buried it, reciting Potion recipes in her head until her breathing evened out and her body relaxed against the stone behind her.

Add clear spring water to your cauldron.

Chop approx. 4 3-inch alihotsy leaves finely and add to spring water.

Stir slowly, not too fast, otherwise you'll damage the leave's mirthful properties.

Snigger at the potion.

Grind up Billywig-

"Malfoy I am going to fucking punch your face into your head. Your face will be on the other side of your pathetic pale head."

Pansy was startled out of her trance at the intense yelling she heard from around the corner. Peeking that way while she got out her wand, she held her breath. What she saw, she wasn't prepared for.

"Longbottom! Calm the fuck down."

"You piss me off, ferret."

Pansy could only stand there as she witnessed the Glorious Gryffindor beating the absolute piss out of Draco Malfoy, both of them in Auror robes and both of them throwing punches, their wands laying forgotten on the ground. What the fuck was going on? But they shifted and now Malfoy was giving as good as he got, using his bony elbow to deal a blow to Neville's nose.

Neville leaned forward, holding Draco by those same robes as he punched that pretty Malfoy face. Draco then kicked Neville once in the ankle while bringing down a fist on the back of Neville's neck. But nothing seemed to phase Neville, who was taller and bulkier than the lean and thin Draco. Neville twisted, throwing his fist into Draco's stomach.

On and on it went until they both managed to land a blow to each others noses. Disoriented, they both staggered back a few steps from each other, clutching their noses with tears in their eyes.

Taking advantage of the pause in their fighting, Pansy shook herself and stepped forward, "What the fuck are you two doing?"

Her voice startled both men and they turned their bodies in her direction. She couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach as Neville's eyes lit up when their eyes met.

"Pansy... where did you come from?" Draco asked her, as if the last eight years of silence hadn't happened. As if they had just spoken yesterday.

"Where did I come from? Where did you come from? I work here."

"Oh... We were – just walking to lunch..." Draco screwed up his face when he realized how awkward it was. Pansy saw the exact moment he realized just how long it had been since they had last spoken to each other. Expensive crystal had flown through the air as the two of them yelled.

"Why would the two of you be walking to lunch together? Are you... friends?" she asked.

"NO!" Both of the men shouted together, like what she said was the worst thing ever.

"We just work together, Pansy." Neville took a step forward and then stopped. A bit of blood was sliding down from the edge of his brow and from his nose. She resisted the urge to go to him. All week long, she had been envisioning the moment they met again for their date. Seeing him in his work robes, hair combed back and hands in his pockets, was a treat she wasn't expecting. But the blood on each men kept her from drooling all over herself.

"And so you two thought you just slip into the dark alley and start beating the shite out of each other?"

"Er..."

"Ahh..."

They both made weird noises and Pansy had the feeling that despite what they said, they were actually good friends.

Neville was distracted by the sight of his witch. He had owled her earlier in the week, setting up a time and a place for their date. But seeing her now, he decided right then he didn't want coffee anymore, he wanted the full dinner. Seeing her a day early got his heart pumping. Getting her response back, written in a bubbly font he hadn't expected, caused him to fist the air in celebration. The whole thing unfortunately happened at work in front of his partner, who proceeded to tease him mercilessly for days. Including today, on their way to lunch. It certainly wasn't the first time the two men had ended up trading fists.

He looked her over as she and his partner eyed each other. She had obviously been doing that adorable lip biting all day, as her bottom lip was swollen and red with worry. Her hair pulled back into a clip and work robes with the sleeves rolled up. Her purple eyes focused on Draco and he had no idea what she could be thinking.

But he was so caught up, he missed when Draco swung again and punched him in the face. Again.

"Fuck, man!" He fell down, pain radiating in his jaw, and started feeling around for his wand when he heard a firm SMACK.

He turned on his back and saw Pansy turn her wand on Draco. "Really!" She huffed, and that, he thought, looked cute too. "What are you two fighting about?!"

"Nothing... er... well..." Draco stammered as he helped Neville up. "Honestly Pansy, we just like to rough around a bit."

"Yea," Neville said. "Just – debating Quidditch and work and things."

"Quidditch!? You were beating each other up over Quidditch! And things?"

She turned around, completely flabbergasted and marched back through the back door of Every Day Potions.

"Oi Pansy, wait." Draco sighed. "I feel bad man, I – I haven't seen her in years..."

Moving quickly, Neville stopped the door just before it closed and beckoned Draco to follow him but paused when he noticed Draco shaking his head no.

"Malfoy?"

"I'll head back to the office, you catch up and tell her – tell her I will see her later, promise." And he was gone.

Shrugging, Neville entered the back room of Everyday Potions. A single, large window let in natural light. Neat shelves held potions, empty vials, ingredients, and different types and sizes of cauldrons. A set of drawers sat to his left and beyond that, what he assumed, was the door to the shop in front.

The air was filled with magic, Neville realized. He stepped back outside and felt the magic melt off him. Stepping back inside and with a wave of his wand, he recognized the identical wards to her home but concentrated on such a small room made the magic feel thick.

Pansy was leaning against the far counter, her back towards him and a line of cauldrons in front of her. The shelf to the left of him had random boxes and items. And a small, clear bag full of a dark purple substance Neville recognized immediately.

"Are you - "

"I'm fine Neville."

"Malfoy said he would catch up with you later." He took a couple long steps and stood next to her, watching as she used her wand to cut neat, precise pieces of lovage and added it to two silver cauldrons. She lifted her wand and expertly set heat to both cauldrons, then charmed a stirer to turn counter clockwise in one cauldron and clockwise in the other.

They both watched as the first cauldron turned a shimmering purple and the second a milky blue. Pansy let out what sounded like a sigh of relief.

"What are you making?" Neville asked. "I was rubbish at potions, if you remember."

"Oh I remember a few melted cauldrons." She teased. "Just a little something I am working on."

"This seems very advanced to me."

"I hope so, I'm trying to get into the Potion Master's Program. Presenting an invented potion might give me a leg up."

"So you invented this? What is it's purpose?"

"Trying to invent anyways. I'm hoping what it'll do is clear the mind. Lovage is usually used for Befuddlement Potions, but I've paired it with valerian root prepared like you would for a Draught of Peace."

"Wow, that's kind of genius, Pans. Surely they will let you into the program."

"Here's hoping." She said, bottling the separate potions and choking back all the bitching she wanted to let out about the damn application manager for the program. "Just need to test them. I'm sorry about – I just haven't seen Draco in a long time and we didn't..."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him. "We ended things badly last time we saw each other, lots of yelling." She laughed sadly.

"I don't want to incite more yelling, but what exactly are you doing with this?" He asked gently, holding up the clear bag he found earlier.

She sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Snooping through my things, Mr. Longbottom?"

"It was out in the open," he raised an eyebrow then he added, "Miss Parkinson."

She placed her hand over the bag and his hand, making his heart jump. She knew it was illegal, but most people had no idea what it was. She didn't even what to use to really, but as Denise worsened every day she had gotten desperate. As soon as she finally got her hands on the dust, she lost all nerve to use it. So she kept it in her office, where usually only she worked. "Are you going to arrest me Neville?"

They stood together for several seconds before he said, "How would that affect my chances of getting you to come to dinner tomorrow night after coffee?"

A flash of surprise behind her eyes had him leaning in. She said one word, "Badly," before grinning at him. "Were you always that smooth? I was under the impression you would be terrible at wooing women. I remember a clumsy forgetful boy."

Laughing he said, "You remember right. I guess I grew out of it."

"I guess you did."

"You've grown too."

She laughed. "Hardly, I'm still as short as I was Seventh year."

"There's other kinds of growing though." He said, and it felt like a caress.

"Neville," She gripped the bag and his hand harder. "I would never use this to hurt someone. You have to know that before we continue this – whatever this is. Never. I would never."

She looked so sincere, it clashed with what he remembered from school. Pug faced, sneering, rude. That was gone now, she had grown out of it. He saw a quiet sweetness and determination. And soft, soft pink lips. He leaned in and kissed her.


	10. Draco Loooooves Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Ice cream and loud, laughing Gryffindors ahead! Oh and lots of swearing!

A/N: This chapter has some yummy Draco POV, therefore lots of swearing. I'm not sorry.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 10

August 4th, 2006

Rubbing his jaw and his shoulder with his wand, he muttered a minor healing spell to help the bruises and cuts along. Maybe he deserved the hurts. He knew Neville well after all. Six years as partners would do that. He knew better than to try to take him on one versus one, of course Pansy showing up had tipped the scales in Draco's favor.

Listening to Neville ask for advice all week on the girl he used to know had been exhausting. When Neville received post from Pansy accepting his offer for coffee on Saturday, Draco took all the opportunities he could to tease the man into oblivion. Still, stop annoying the damn Gryffindor, he's a foot taller than you, Draco.

But really, was it his fault? Fucking Longbottom. What the hell ever happened to the pipsqueak from first year? Little Longbottom, who was losing everything and forgetting everything. Now he walked around taller than everyone except the Weasel, and pummeled poor, defenseless innocents . I did get a few good hits in this time though. Ha! Take that Glorious Gryffindor Man.

A few blocks over and Draco was still hurting and thinking about the woman his partner suddenly had a major infatuation with. Pansy fucking Parkinson. She had been an absolute terror in school, but that last year... together they had raised all hell. The scars on Neville's face were a constant reminder to Draco about that year. Pansy herself put those scars there. Making a face, Draco didn't understand how Neville and Pansy could possibly get past something like that. But fuck it, if they wanted to give it a go, Draco was down. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. There had to be some buried frustrations there.

Deciding it was in his own best interest to give the two love birds some more time together, Draco walked back out on the main road. Unlike some people, he still wanted lunch. He had a lot of work to get done back at the office. The nerve of some people, fucking Longbottom, he thought. Probably just going to blow off the rest of the day and leave all the work for Draco! Actually, Draco admitted to himself, it was usually him that left all the work for Neville. Oh well.

Wandering his way down towards the south side of Diagon Alley, where lots of delicious cafes and tea shops waited, he nodded to a few familiar faces and kept an eye out for any kind of shenanigans. As an Auror, he wanted to keep the peace and all that. Blah, whatever. He didn't mind looking the other way every once in awhile. It was about picking your battles. It was about having control. Draco loved control, except when it came to a certain Gryffindor with whiskey colored eyes and a wit that cut.

Casting a quick look around, he noticed some more familiar faces a few shops over, sitting outside the ice cream shop. Scar Head, Weasel, Little Weasel, and his girl were sitting under a big yellow umbrella. A gigantic ice cream sundae with every fixing you could possibly put on ice cream sat in front of them. Why didn't they just pose for a fucking post card or something, for fuck's sake. They looked so happy. Draco thought it was gross, except for Hermione. She could look good on anything. She would look good on him especially.

He plopped down shoving himself between Ginny and Hermione, and used the fiery Weasley's spoon to eat some of the sundae.

"Mmm that's fucking tasty." He said, with his mouth full of chocolate sauce, bits of strawberry, peanuts, and whipped cream.

"Malfoy, that was my spoon." Ginny said, giving him a smack across the back of his head.

"Oi, Potter, control your woman. I'm already bruised. I don't need more." Draco continued to spoon ice cream into mouth. Chunks of brownies, Holy Hufflepuff.

"Don't mess with Ginny, Malfoy. You know just as well as I that she will Bat Boogey your ass into tomorrow." Scar Head gave him a pointed look and then grinned happily at his girl as if that's exactly what he wanted. Ew, stop being cute.

"You're right, my sweet Ginevra, please accept my humblest of apologies. For I cannot stand to think I have wronged you in any way, please, please don't hex me again." Draco mocked, handing her back her spoon. She looked at it like it was diseased. He instead turned and grabbed Hermione spoon and started feeding her bits of crystallized pineapple and cherries.

"Ugh – Malfoy Germs. Run while you can." Ginny took a napkin and nudged the spoon to the other side of their table. A round of laughs filled the umbrella. Except his own.

"There is no such thing as Malfoy germs. And if there were, you should be happy to have come into contact with them." Draco said, pretending to spoon more ice cream to Hermione before eating the bite himself.

Hermione gave him a mock look of hurt and then slapped his arm. "Give me the next two bites."

"As you wish my lady, so long as you stop abusing your poor, battered indentured servant."

She slapped him again and laughed.

"Where's Neville at, Malfoy?" The Weasel asked, mouth full, a little ice cream spittle falling out of his mouth.

"Disgusting, Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"Agreed, disgusting, Ron!" Draco said in a perfect impression of his bookworm goddess. At least, he thought so. "And to answer your question, Neville is currently with his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson. She works right down the street.

Ginny let out a groan of annoyance. "I'm going to have to see her and be nice to her aren't I? Neville's all humming and frolicking through fields of flowers with hearts in his eyes."

"He has been more … upbeat lately."

"You think it's bad, I have to work with him. Too much sharing."

"Was she really as bad as you said, Gin? That last year... we weren't there so..."

"Yes! C'mon! You've seen those scars on Neville?"

"... what about them?"

"Guess who put them there?"

"You're kidding?"

"Her?"

"No way, he's so... how could he forgive -"

"Remember that article that came out about her? After the battle?"

"Please it was written by that hideous Rita Skeeter, you didn't take it seriously did you?"

"You're right about that -"

"Just one of the many reasons I bought the Prophet-"

"You can't trust anything that Lavender says... remember what happened at the one year memorial?"

"When she tried to use old fashioned Pureblood rules to get you to marry her? Of course we remember, Ron! Horrible girl!"

"So no way that article was right then, still... she did some awful things in my 6th year. Especially to Neville."

"That's what I'm trying to say, how do you just forget about that?"

Used to the way the four always talked over each other by now, Draco had no problem keeping up. "Right, how on earth could you people possibly forgive someone for things they did as a child?" He asked sarcastically, pushing the sleeves of his robes up and revealing the faded black tattoo that remained on his left arm.

Four pairs of eyes turned on him then down to his mark.

"Oh..."

"Shit..."

"My bad..."

"Oh..."

"Don't worry, I won't lay the guilt trip down too hard." Draco smirked.

"We still feel just...awful about everything -"

"The media was way out of line those first couple years after Voldemort -"

"Of course we forgive you, you're our friend!"

"You went out of your way to help-"

"And you're perfect for Hermione!"

Draco nodded smugly. "Weird how people can change huh? Granted, I shouldn't be standing up for Pansy too much. Last time we saw each other she threw a jar of Doxy Eggs at me and I couldn't get that horrid smell out of my hair for weeks. And then a wine glass. And a crystal ball."

"She did? I like her a little bit more now..."

"And she followed that up with her whiskey glass, that's where this scar comes from." Draco pointed to his chin dramatically.

Hermione leaned in, licking a bit of whipped cream off her lips. "I don't see anything... your skin is flawless there."

"Oh thank you, I know I am very perfect looking. But the compliment helps, I am so frail on the inside."

Hermione slapped his arm again. "Draco!"

"Ouch! That hurts. Use your words."

"You're pathetic. How's that for a word?"

"I didn't like it very much actually. Anyways, I meant this one." And he pointed to the edge of his forehead right beneath his hair line.

Hermione leaned in again and squinted. "That is the smallest of scars I have ever seen."

They all roared with laughter and continued eating the sundae.

"Well," Hermione started, taking another bite of brownie. "What were you two fighting about? You haven't talked to her since, obviously it was somewhat serious?"

Draco shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. "Err..."

They all looked at him expectantly.

"She was... hurting herself... I was trying to help, really. We had a big row about it. She told me to stay out of her life and I did..."

"Hurting herself? Like... how? Like cutting?"

"No, not like that..."

"How was it then?

"Look it isn't my business really and it was a long time ago. She probably doesn't do it anymore..."

"Do what? Tell us!"

"No, I can't..."

"Draco, you have to tell us now."

He took a deep breath, looking at Hermione. "You remember when I beat the shit out of Blaise Zambini at that benefit a couple years ago?"

She nodded. "I patched you up and kept it out of the Prophet."

"Lets just say he had it coming. He helped to hurt her..."

They all looked at him quietly, sundae forgotten.

"What does that even mean?!" Ginny yelled.

"It means I have to go back to work now!" Draco said jumping up.


	11. Snog First, Kill Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we goooo! Delicious yummy kissing scene followed by, of course, ANGST!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 11

August 4th, 2006

Pansy thought Neville's eyes were the bluest of things she'd ever seen on earth. The scarring around his eyes brought out the color. His dark hair fell backwards and rested on the back of his neck. It was tucked behind his ears. The lines of his nose and jaw were straight and strong. His lips were full and slightly parted as he drew in air. And that gaze of his... his gaze was on her, and only her, the girl who put those scars there.

Easily over a head taller than her, she had to look up and up to meet that gaze. His thumb was absently rubbing the skin under her right ear and she thought she was going to explode from the contact. It shouldn't be like this. She had tortured him in school, literally. She spent the last eight years hiding from the likes of him and the Order, the media, and anyone at all. She was the infamous Death Eater who sold out Harry Potter, what would he want to do with her?

If he kept kissing her like this, she would end up saying something she definitely regretted. Like, "Wanna go back to my place and shag on EVERYTHING?"

Then, she started thinking about that damned kiss they shared in the greenhouse. The perfect greenhouse with his damn purple pansies and that lucky Charmed Lisianthus. With that memory, his scent overwhelmed her - lemongrass and earth. Just like that, she breathed out and she was warmed to the bones.

She took a deep breath, and stood on her tippy toes, putting more pressure into the kiss. Neville groaned, spreading his hand and fingers on the back of her neck, digging into her hair, his other hand firmly on her back. He had complete control; she was against the table, trapped. Her hands rested on his shoulders, his body blocking hers. No escape.

He took his time, keeping his hands planted on her, he explored her mouth with his, slowly tasting her, getting to know what she liked.

When he nipped at her bottom lip, she moaned into his mouth and her eyes fluttered shut.

Slowly, so slowly, he kissed her lips, never letting her take over. Keeping his body slightly apart from hers, but close enough she could still feel his warmth. Neville was driving her to insanity.

Then she did something, she was sure he wasn't expecting. Biting down hard on his lip, she grinned into his kiss after worrying his lip with her teeth. He almost growled into her mouth. He finally crushed her into him and deepened the kiss more, his tongue sliding into her mouth, his lips completely covering hers, he held her head right where he wanted her and kissed her until she couldn't breathe anymore.

She rode the pleasure until her head started to spin and then leaned back with a gasp, "Neville..." She pushed him slightly, not that he went anywhere. He still had his hands around her, kept her close, his eyes on her swollen lips. The table behind her hindered any escape. Not sure if she wanted an escape or not, she just leaned back and caught her breath. "Neville, wait..."

"You shouldn't have stopped me, Pansy." He growled at her, his voice roughened with passion. His too intense, powerful stare was looking right into her. She gasped again as she felt his hands cup her bottom and she was lifted up, placed on the table behind her. She felt the table rock slightly, felt vials and bottles and caps knocking around. Neville was wedged between her legs. He was giving her a hard look that she felt from her mouth all the way down to between her legs. She licked her lips. She didn't think she had 'stopped' him at all.

He leaned in to make up for the space Pansy had put between them. And his mouth was on her own again as he completely ravaged her. Neville was, without a single doubt, the best kisser in the entire universe.

Then a soft voiced said, "Pansy are you here – oh! I'm so sorry!" Neville and Pansy both jumped at the interruption. The door had opened and Heather was standing, mouth wide open and staring right at Pansy and Neville. "I – I – I..."

"Oh, Heather!" Pansy swallowed hard, her lips felt like an Engorging Charm had been placed on them. "What did you need?"

Neville took a step back, letting go of Pansy and she had the distinct feeling of falling before she came fully to her senses. She shook her head and stood up from the table and ran out towards the front store, following Heather's retreating form.

"Heather," Pansy took a deep breath. "What you saw just don't worry about that, it'll never happen again. I'm usually much more professional than that - !"

Heather looked positively bewildered, her big brown eyes wide open. "It's fine. I mean, you were basically, totally snogging Neville Longbottom, in my store, when I thought you were at lunch. I don't know, I just wasn't really expecting it! And I heard bottles and sounds and there's an order and -"she made a sound like shock.

"I promise it won't happen again. I will get right to work." Pansy was nodding to convince her, and possibly herself, that she was actually going to get back to work. She felt incredibly embarrassed at being caught in an inappropriate act in the middle of her work day.

"Mr. Keller came in again and he placed an order for a large amount of Burning Bitterroot Balm, so I need you to fill that as soon as possible." She handed Pansy the paper roughly and looked around angrily, turning away in a huff.

"Heather, you need to calm down." Neville said from the doorway. He leaned on the stone and crossed his arms, giving a cool look Pansy had never seen on him before. He seemed angry.

"No, Neville, you need to leave my store immediately. You know you are not welcomed here!" Heather turned and pointed a finger at him. "Get out!"

Pansy had worked at this shop for six years now and she had never seen Heather get so worked up before today. "Why isn't he allowed here?" She asked softly, not entirely sure how to go about this situation. She remembered vaguely that Neville mentioned knowing Heather but this was unexpected.

"Oh, he knows why!" Heather anxiously patted her apron as if trying to calm herself down. "And he knows he shouldn't be snogging you! I'm asking you to leave now, Mr. Longbottom!"

Pansy looked between the two. Neville, leaning against the door looking angry and rigid, the man she was most certainly dating now, if only to get more time spent kissing his mouth. And Heather, her boss whom she always got along with well enough and had never seen her this worked up before.

"What is going on?" Pansy demanded.

"Heather just isn't my biggest fan."

"Oh that's an understatement if I ever heard one!" Heather huffed again, looking bitter and annoyed beyond a doubt. "Does she even know?" She yelled, gesturing to Pansy.

"Know what? Neville!"

"Know that Neville here is married to my best friend Hannah Abbott!"

An arctic chill ran down Pansy's spine completely muting the warm arousal she had been feeling only moments before. The image of a mean faced witch filled her mind, a witch with blonde hair and a snotty face using a tripping jinx to send Pansy falling to the ground. Spinning around to face him, she searched his face, his eyes. Surely he wasn't... married? He couldn't be. Why would he agree to go on a blind date if he was bound to someone already? His face was frowning with guilt.

It was true.


	12. She's Not Wandless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm more alcohol consumption and another flash back! Some more delicious angst! yum!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 12

April 15th, 2005

A cheering exploded from the crowd in front of the alter where Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley just tied the knot, binding together their lives and magic forever. Neville was dressed in fine wizard's robes, acting the part of a good Groomsmen. He was standing next to Ron, who definitely looked a little puffy eyed and red around the ears. Across the way, Hermione was dabbing tears from her eyes. Luna was clapping excitedly. Weasley's were all jumping up and down and cheering madly as Harry and Ginny kissed.

Neville smiled. This is what he wanted. He wanted a wife to call his own, a family and to have friends cheering them on. For now, though, he would be happy for his friends. They deserved it after everything they had been through, the war, the aftermath of that final battle, Harry's Auror training, and Ginny's career with the Harpies. They put off getting married as long as they could. But the day was finally here. Mrs. Weasley could not be happier.

Suddenly, Weasley's were swarming around the wedding party. They picked up the bride and groom and before long, a reception was in full form. Music was blasting from all corners, firewhiskey and meadow champagne was passed around for all, Gryffindor colors were on every wall, glittering lights were floating dreamily in the air, and small twittering paper birds were flying about releasing magical confetti that sang the bride and groom's name.

After about a hundred speeches or so, Neville handed a firewhiskey to Harry as Ginny and Mr. Weasley spun around the dance floor in a whirl of white, blush, and red. "Congratulations man! I'm so happy for you and Ginny." He and Harry put their glasses together with a clink and took a drink respectfully.

"I figure you've gotten several of the 'big brother' talks already, so I'll save mine. I know you two wouldn't hurt each other, ever." Neville smiled at Harry who looked green at the mention of such talks.

"Yeah, it was rough. I don't know if it would've been better if they had all just sat me down together. They came at me one at a time, one random day after another, until on the final day, Mr. Weasley... I didn't know he had it in him to be that mean..." He took a big gulp of the whiskey and then searched for his wife in the crowd of dancers.

Neville ducked away when he noticed several Weasley's flocking their way in an appalling version of a conga line, led by George who had a huge top hat on – and right into a petite blonde witch, spilling his drink all down her fine dress robes.

Her gasp was loud and surprised as her own glass fell to the floor and shattered.

"Gah! I'm sorry!" Neville whipped out his wand and had the mess cleared in an instant. He then turned the wand to the robes and removed the stain that was forming there. "I'm sorry about that... totally my fault... wasn't watching where I was, er, going. Oh. Hi." He stopped babbling long enough to really look at the woman.

She was smiling tentatively at him and twirling a bit of hair with her fingers in a sweet way that made Neville smile back. "Hi Neville, it's nice to see you again." She spoke softly, her voice was familiar but he couldn't quite place her face.

"Oh-uh." He floundered his words and couldn't decide what to do with his hands.

"Hannah Abbott, we were in the same year at Hogwart's." She helped him out and took a small step forward, still twirling that bit of hair.

"Oh, right! Hannah, right. I'm Neville. Right. You knew that. How are you doing?" He finished lamely.

She giggled a bit and then gave a cute half shrug. "Doing fine, glad to be included in the festivities."

Neville didn't know what he was about to say, but the conga line had finally caught up to him and he was swept away before he could figure it out.

Hannah just laughed and called out, "I'd love to go have a drink with you Neville!" over the music.

Hours of joyous celebration later, Neville was just a tad bit on the other side of tipsy. They had all sent off Ginny and Harry for their honeymoon with a big bang, literally, and decided to just keep the celebration going. Weasley's could drink by Godric. He danced with Luna five times and then found himself hiding in a secluded corner, sipping more whiskey and resting his head back. Then he felt a small hand brush his cheek.

Opening his eyes, Hannah stood before him, smiling widely and looking even prettier than she had earlier, an attractive blush across her cheeks and her straight blonde hair flared out around her face like a halo.

He didn't think, he just knew what he wanted. Marriage, kids, family, friends.

He leaned down to kiss her, finding his arms had wrapped around her body. She tasted like champagne and strawberries.

Neville woke up the next morning, his arms still around Hannah.

August 4th, 2006

Never before feeling like such a fool, Pansy couldn't help but shout. "You're married? You – Unbelievable! You didn't think to mention that?"

"Wait, Pansy – no it isn't like that!"

"Isn't like what? Are you married or not?" She scoffed pushing at his chest and walking away back into the back room. "Hannah? As in Hannah Abbott? That witch from last week?" The witch that had used magic on her to trip her, embarrass her.

"No -" Neville began, following her.

"He is too! I was at the wedding myself!" Heather stood at the door, looking cross.

"Heather please! You aren't helping!" Neville said desperately.

"Married!" She felt like an idiot. How dare he betray the sacred magic bonds of a wizard's marriage? It was a binding for life, the most sacred of vows. "Get out! Never come back here!"

"I second that!" Heather yelled, and she practically pushed Neville out the door and slammed it shut on him. An empty jar from the shelf fell and shattered.

Pansy huffed and paced the room. She needed to get her wand from the table across the room and clean up the mess, but she couldn't help but think back to last Saturday when Neville and that witch, Hannah Abbott, had fought. What had she been trying to say? 'Don't boss me around I'm your wife...' That's what she had been saying. Wife.

They were married.

"I'm sorry about all this, Pansy." Heather started nervously. "I – Well Hannah told me about last weekend, but I didn't think it was you she was talking about. I just can't let him in here after everything he put Hannah through." Heather rambled a lot when she was mad. "And they are married. I'm serious I was at their wedding."

"I believe you, really. I am just... he said he was unattached... I just assumed... I don't know. Oh gods, I feel like an idiot."

"And everything he did to Hannah... trust me... you do not want to be in that kind of relationship." Heather said firmly, not mumbling this time. "He completely controlled her, completely ruined her life, she never had freedom anymore..."

"No – please." She hoped she sounded sincere, but really she didn't want to hear a thing about 'everything he put Hannah through'. The attraction between her and Neville had been almost instantaneous and she craved more, even now knowing they could never be together. Now, in light of everything – she just needed more information.

"I apologize for my behavior. I'll just clean this up." With an angry wave, her wand was in her hand and she was cleaning up the broken glass. She turned back to Heather, prepared to apologize again and get the new work order started, but the look of complete shock stopped her.

"Heather?" she asked.

"I didn't know you could do that." Heather whispered, gaze firmly set on her Pansy's wand hand.

"Do what?" Pansy asked, confused, and with the sudden need to hide her wand from sight.

"Summon your wand to your hand." Heather whispered again in the same scared tone, gesturing to Pansy's beloved Willow wand.

"Don't be absurd," She gave a nervous laugh.

"But you did, just now. I saw it."

"I – definitely not – no, that is an extremely rare ..."

"I'm telling you I saw it."

Pansy and Heather stood silently looking at one another, Pansy hating the look in Heather's eyes. Fear. She was scared of Pansy.

"There hasn't been a witch or wizard who would summon their wand to them in centuries," Heather said.

"You're mistaken, Heather." Pansy started, grabbing the order form still clutched in Heather's hand. "I'm going to fill this and take the rest of the day off."


	13. She's A Screamer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shrill, screaming Slytherin ahead!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 13

August 4th, 2006

Pansy burst through the foyer of Theo's Manor, the door banging loudly on the wall, the wards recognizing her and allowing her to enter with a shimmer of magic. And enter she did, violently. "THEO!"

She threw her bag down angrily on the side table and walked through the next room, kicking off her work shoes. "Theo! You'll never believe what happened to me today!"

The portrait of Theo's great-grandfather, Thorfinn, hung from the wall and scoffed at her bare feet. "Young lady, what have I told you about manners? You are stretching the rules of guesthood."

She sneered at the portrait, too pissed to care about 'guesthood' rules or anything of the sort. "Shove it, Thorfinn."

She wandered to the formal dinning room, ignoring mutterings from the portraits behind her, which housed a small wet bar, where she immediately began pouring herself a glass of wine. Angrily tapping her fingers on the counter as the liquid filled the glass, she filled the glass to the rim.

"THEO" She yelled louder. When she turned, hearing the sound of unfamiliar footsteps, two men she didn't recognize stood in the doorway, both dressed in nice robes and neither of them smiling.

Her first impression was to run. Both men were taller than her, with dark eyes. Something about them screamed Death Eater. "Who the hell are you?" She decided for aggression. "What are you doing here?" One of the men twitched an awful looking smile in her direction and she took a damning step back. They immediately smiled a sick, predatory grin in her direction. 

"They were just leaving weren't you gentlemen. I appreciate you stopping by, but as we discussed earlier, I have no interest in doing business with you." Theo said curtly from behind the men, gesturing them through the door Pansy had just come through. A tense moment followed where both men eyed Pansy before finally walking away, Theo following them out. She let out a sigh and after a second look, grabbed the bottle as well as her glass and made her way to her favorite love seat in her favorite living room.

A minute later, Pansy felt a shiver as the wards shifted across the manor and Theo walked into the room looking irritated.

"I cannot believe I let those morons into my home." He said, collapsing onto his chaise dramatically, throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Who were they?" Pansy asked, crossing her legs beneath her.

"Fucking sympathizers."

"What?! As in... Voldemort sympathizers?" Her mouth gaped open in disbelief.

"Can you even – I mean, after everything... when that year was over, gods! I know everyone thinks us Slytherin's were just having the time of our lives with The Carrows, but they were just as awful to us too."

"I know you had a hard time that year," Pansy said uncomfortably.

"Oh don't even start with me, girl. You did what you had to do, and I will not hear another word about it. Especially, especially from those idiots."

"What they asked about me?" She asked, watching his eyes flash in anger.

"Said they knew your father and any child of his came from good, well-bred stock," he spat out the last words. "Like you were cattle or something, and we would be welcomed with open arms into their organization. I'll spit on their organization. I can't believe they came here. I have spent years trying to scrub the stain of that maniac from my house. Ugh I feel dirty." Theo sat up and grabbed the bottle from Pansy, drinking directly from it.

They sat in silence, thinking over things they both wished they could forget. Theo thinking specifically about his father, who rotted away to death in Azkaban still sprouting off Pureblood ideals and thinking his Master was going to return any day. Pansy regretting her last year at Hogwart's, the actions she took against others as well as what she let others do to her behind closed doors.

"So, what will I just 'never' believe happened to you today?" His voice broke through images of dark rooms that smelled of sex and the cologne Blaise Zabini used to wear.

Huffing, she launched into the details of her work day.

"Married?" Theo repeated.

"Yes, the bloody idiot Gryffindor is married which I only found out after the best snog of my life and after my boss caught me having the best snog of my life. I feel like a fool. Uuugghhh! He just... married! Married!"

"That's, I mean, he didn't deny it or anything?" Theo asked.

"He did, but Heather said she was at their wedding. She said he was controlling and I was lucky to not be in a relationship with him. And here I was all week long, swooning and imagining our date for tomorrow and fuck! I'm so pissed off!"

"It's just, you know I try to keep up with that kind of thing, being the great Socialite that I am, and I don't remember seeing anything about Longbottom getting married, or that Hannah Abbott. I mean, when Malfoy started dating that Granger girl they were all over the news for months, even though she owns the Prophet now... I don't think she could stop it. And when Potter married the youngest Weasley, there was everything short of parades. I'm pretty sure I would've seen something about Longbottom getting married, since he runs with that group. Media is always following them around."

"Granger owns the Prophet now?" she asked.

"Yep, bought it right after the war. First thing she did was fire that Rita Skeeter. Didn't you know?"

"No, I stopped getting the Prophet 6th year, remember?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't say anything.

"That's another thing, Malfoy said he would 'catch up' with me later. Idiot." Though she couldn't help that part of her that wanted to see him again, even as the rest of her wanted to hex his pale face into oblivion.

"Malfoy huh? That'll be fun." Theo snorted.

"Fun? Can you be serious, like, ever?"

"Absolutely not. Never."

"He practically abandoned my mother and me. He knew everything that – with Blaise I mean – knew what happened and he just, he just left me. I mean, not about you know… I knew he was going for the Auror program. Of course he ended up as Neville's partner. I think they're friends - Why? Why me?"

"Oh woe is you, please! At least you weren't dealing with fucking Sympathizers."

"Why would Heather lie to me, she wouldn't… would she? Oh gods, he's married." She ignored him as her mind flashed to the look on Neville face. Guilt. Did he regret her? Regret his marriage? She thought of Hannah Abbott and that mean snarl on her face.

"You said yourself, Neville and Hannah were obviously together at some point, they fought in front of you right? And Heather is her friend. She could've lied for her friend… Of course, I could be wrong, that's been known to happen on occasion."

"Oh, just occasionally?" She sneered before gulping down her wine.

"Don't be rude." Then he said, "Best snog of your life, huh?"

"Ohh no, don't you remind me. No one should be that good at kissing. Especially Gryffindors!"

"Well, if you want my opinion, which I don't care if you do or don't you're getting it anyways, I say give the tall, gorgeous Gryffindor a chance to explain. Maybe get a good-bye snog out of him and then call it an experience." He shrugged. "Besides... he's fit."

"Fit..." she groaned. He wasn't lying. Neville was fit, scarred up, and kissed her with a focus that made her body melt.

An experience. Oh… Circe.

Moaning, she turned towards him. "There's another thing..."

"Ohhh, this is just getting better and better! You need to date more often. This is an event. Usually it's me who suffers."

She slapped his arm. "Just pay attention. I – I noticed something... it's happened before but I didn't really think about it or anything – I ... "

"Go on, go on."

She placed her wand on the far side of the coffee table then leaned back into the cushions. Taking a deep breath she held out her hand, palm up and focused.

Theo watched with rapt attention, looking between her hand and her wand. "Okay...? Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"Gah, I did it earlier. Hold on." She got up and moved her wand to the sideboard, on the far side of the room, then rushed back to sit next to Theo on the chaise.

She looked at Theo, back to her wand and took another deep breath, holding her hand out palm up.

Nothing happened.

Theo eyed her hard for a second then said, "How much have you been drinking, by the way? Just so I know. For reasons."

She huffed and fisted and unfisted her hand trying to summon the magic to her and... Her wand came, the tip pointing directly in Theo's face. It looked like nothing more than her wand appearing, no sparks, no theatrics. Her wand was just suddenly in her hand. And worse, with every time Pansy did it, she swore the wand felt smug, her magic undeniably pleased with her.

"Ahhh!" He dodged out of the way quickly, knocking over the coffee table and Pansy's glass of wine.

"Heather saw me do it - and I just know she's going to tell someone! What am I supposed to do?" She screeched loudly.

Theo rolled his eyes and glared at her, flicking his wrist back and forth. "You're going to have to stop screaming because, my gods, that was the loudest thing I have ever heard."

"Stop screaming? The ability to summon your wand to your hand as always been associated with Dark Arts! There have only been three wizards and one witch in the last millennia that have been recorded to have this ability!"

"So?"

"SO?" She buried her hands in her hair. "They were all Dark Wizards and Witches!" Her pitch was getting higher and higher.

"You shrill hag! You're screaming again! My precious ears are bleeding!"

She shot him a dark look and drove her voice even louder. "Are you going to help me or not!"

Sighing, he walked over and sat down next to her, and began gently rubbing her back. "Pansy, you are not a Dark Witch. Just because you can do something they could, something that is totally cool by the way, doesn't automatically make you a Lady of the Night!" He gasped dramatically.

"Oh Holy Hufflepuff! You are not helping Theodore Nott!" she pushed at him, anger sparking through her hair, and jumped up to pace the room.

"Everything that's happened – my name in the media! And I just can't… have this getting out… and Heather already saw… OH GODS!"

"And I told you years ago that you needed to put more time into the Ministry! Be seen doing good, change what people view you as."

"I'm rubbish at politics, Theo." she said pointing a finger at him. "I can't work the media or Ministry. No, its better that I stay quiet and out of the spot light..."

"Yeah, great plan and all Pans, but now if Heather goes off blabbing about this hidden talent of yours, you'll have nothing to counter with."

"What do you mean by that? I can say, excuse me I have been a quiet little witch the past 8 years…"

"No, they can paint it as time away, developing skills, researching dark arts, hell even paint you as a Sympathizer."

"Theo, you know I wouldn't! And I haven't been away! I've been employed in Diagon Alley for six years now!"

"Yes dear, I know you wouldn't, and I know you have. But no one else would. My influence can only go so far, you have no one else to back you up."

"I have been labeled a Death Eater – and my father was a Death Eater and this is not something I'm prepared... They will all just assume they were right about me and – and – and -"

He slapped his hand over her mouth. "Holy shite, breathe through your nose – there you go – and calm down. Please stop screaming before the house elves think I am murdering you. There you go, that's it. Calm. Caaaalm."

He slowly released his hand from her mouth. "Pansy, are you a dark witch? Don't scream."

She drew a haggard sounding breath. "No."

"Then I say don't worry about it. The media is a fickle bitch and even if they try to run away with this, assuming they even find out, it'll pass. Let's just focus on your sordid love affair with the married Gryffindor."

She groaned. "He's married!"

Theo just rolled his eyes.


	14. Scum Of The Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some snarling and slamming doors ahead!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 14

August 5th, 2006

She was torn between wanting to clean her entire house and being too afraid of her wand to do anything. She felt anxious thinking about when, if, Neville would show up for their date, knowing she didn't want to encourage a married man's affair and also knowing she wanted to fall into a dark bed with him and live out the rest of her life indulging in dark, unhindered passion.

Several times she caught herself picking up her wand to set her laundry folding or to get a good scrub on the cooling cabinet, when the moment her hand touched the cool grooves of her wand, she felt it again. The wood felt haughty, as if by acknowledging that she could in fact summon her wand to her, she had joined in on some kind of game. Like it had been waiting for her.

The note Neville had sent earlier in the week lay open on her coffee table, and every time she walked by her eye went right to the bold lettering proclaiming he would meet Pansy at her house at 6. Folded into the parchment was a single rose petal, deep red in color. The first few days the petal scented the entire room with its delicate scent and made Pansy sigh happily.

Now she wondered irritably just how in the hell a single petal could make her living room smell so good. And why wasn't it wilting?

Frustrated, she grabbed at her hair and tried to calm herself.

Coughing potion.

Fill your cauldron with ice water and cough once.

Gently separate asphodel leaves and grind them finely.

Mix the powered asphodel with one medium sized root of dandelion and grind the two together.

Pour this mixture into your ice water and set a low heat to the cauldron. Clear your throat.

Take essence of baneberry -

Her mind betrayed her. She suddenly wondered if he ever did the same for Hannah, showering her with delicate flower petals and plants... and that was how it started. Her thoughts went on the war path and no amount of recipe reciting could calm them.

As the sun made its way across the sky counting down to 6 o'clock, Pansy worked herself into a fervor, bitterly thinking about last Saturday. About how much they kissed, and damn that Gryffindor because he could kiss, and how they talked about things that mattered. About their magic sparking together and the sheer chemistry they shared. Did he go home to his wife after spending the whole day with her? What kind of scum was he?

Was he married to that smug faced witch from the tea shop? The one who just had to say something to her? "Scraping the bottom of the barrel there, aren't you?"

She could just picture them together and she wanted to shred that picture into little pieces.

When her mother's antique grandfather clock chimed 4 o'clock she was so worked up, she wanted Neville to show up just so she could properly hex him, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement be damned. So when she heard the tapping, she assumed it was Neville, even though it was early, and rushed down the stairs, forgetting to check the peep hole, to wrench open her door and give him a piece of her mind. Finding her door step empty and the sound of tapping continuing, she turned and saw an owl at her living room window.

Gently shutting the door, she walked over and let the small brown owl in. It hopped across the table and landed in front of her, setting down a letter with familiar bold lettering addressing it to her, and flew off immediately. Breaking the seal, she unfolded the parchment and another petal fell out. This one, a sweet pink, smelled just as good as the red one. Maybe even better. Unlike the delight of the first petal, this one enraged her.

Bringing the letter up to her face, she quickly read the short paragraph. "He'll be here at 6," She said to no one. "And be ready because we have things to talk about?"

Ooh boy do we have things to talk about, you bastard scum of the earth. Married! You're married! To that witch! THAT WITCH HANNAH ABBOTT!

She threw the letter down on the coffee table next to the other letter, the petals swept up in the breeze it created. She marched through her kitchen and went down into her basement, where she immediately started cleaning out her many cauldrons. The hard scrubbing allowed her to release the pent up energy she had been keeping in all day. When all the cauldrons were clean she moved on to reorganizing her ingredient cabinet, mumbling the entire time about snotty faced witches and tripping jinxes and cheating Gryffindors. Then she did it again. No amount of cleaning or potion recipe reciting helped soothe the aggravation.

She was sitting on her work bench with Lacewing bits in her hair and cleaning suds sticking to her chin when she heard it.

Thump thump thump.

And then... her grandfather clock gave its distinctive chime six times. Groaning but feeling determined and straight up pissed off, she walked up the stairs into her kitchen, purposely ignoring the mirror that hung behind the basement door, and the sticky, sweaty feeling on her neck. She marched through her living room and up to her front door not caring about her dirty jeans and tee shirt or the smears of cauldron gunk that remained on her arms up to her elbows. The bits in her air and the suds on her chin would just have to wait. She peered through the keyhole and then opened the door wide.

There he stood, looking just as delicious as always. It further enraged her.

"Yes or no?" She said in a clipped voice to the man on her door step.

So much taller than her, chocolate brown hair ruffled like it hadn't been combed, and a hard jaw line that hadn't been shaved for a few days, he was delicious in every way to her senses… and for the first time in over a week, Pansy had no desire to kiss him.

He shifted from one foot to the other before saying, "What do you mean?"

"Are you or are you not married?"

"Well that's a - "

"Yes or no?"

"There's a grey ar-"

"This is an easy yes or no question!" She crossed her arms and the transparent bit of the Lacewing fell from her hair.

"Pansy..." However she didn't want to hear it. She grabbed the door in her frustration and tried to slam it in his face, but his hand shot out and held it firmly.

"Just admit you're married to that pig Hannah Abbott!" She snapped, putting all her weight into the door, while he held only his hand against the opposite side. "Tell the truth!"

"Fine, I'm married to that pig, Hannah Abbott." He said through clenched teeth. "Happy?"

"No! I am not happy!" She screeched back at him, throwing every ounce of her weight into the door again, gaining barely an inch on him.

"Damnit, Pansy, then let me explain!"

"What would you have to explain about? Breaking a magical bond, spitting on your wizard's vows? Or did you have one of those old fashioned ceremonies where the woman vows everything and the man just stands by and gains himself a faithful servant!"

"No – of course not – no," He groaned. "Pansy I wouldn't do that! Just LET ME EXPLAIN!"

"No. You're a pig! You spent all day with me last week. Then you went home to your wife and probably had a good laugh!"

"That is absolutely not what happened." he huffed, still holding the door open with little effort and debating whether he should just force his way in. "I left you and went to my apartment by myself... where I live alone."

"You admit your married... you two live separately?"

He could tell she was getting curious so he told her the truth. "Hannah and I had a muggle wedding!"

His words stopped her up; she stepped back from the door in confusion and watched as Neville stumbled in a step, the door swinging all the way open with the force he was holding on it.

He held his palms up in front of him, "Can I please, please have a chance to explain without Heather around to interrupt me, or you trying to shut my face in a door?"

"I – yes... come in..."

He tentatively stepped into her living room, closing the front door behind himself.

She shifted away from him feeling more confused than ever, and offered him a seat on her living room couch. She thought he fit right in as he sank into the cushions. After a moment, he leaned forward and clasped his hands together. She sat opposite of him and mirrored his position, the both of them slowly leaning towards each other.

"So –"

"So –"

They both began at the same time and stopped. He reached out and took her hands in his and she felt time stop. She spent all day thinking of exactly what she would say to him. How could he? Did he have no respect for himself, her, or his wife? She thought of all the contemptuous, scathing remarks she wanted to say to him. Weren't Gryffindor's supposed to be honorable? Wasn't he supposed to be a good man?

All of these thoughts left her. What was a muggle marriage? Obviously it had to be different from a Magical Wedding, not having magic to bind together… but she had no idea. What did it mean?

"So," he began. "I didn't expect to have to tell you all about my – well, Hannah – so soon."

His odd tone of voice made her hesitate. "What did you expect, Neville?"

His thumb began rubbing those gentle circles he was fond of on the back of her hand. It immediately reminded her of their time spent last week in his gardens – and she knew, he expected exactly what she had been expecting. Tongues melding, bodies touching. She was addicted to his mouth and his dry smile. He wanted the same.

"I've been thinking about last Saturday all bloody week, woman. Have you? Or am I just crazy?"

"You're not crazy." She said shyly, though she kept eye contact loathing to look away from his deep blue colored eyes, she dipped her chin so her bangs fell into her face, giving her a shield. "Why don't you – er – start at the beginning and then we can go from there." She suggested.

He sighed with relief. "Hannah and I sort of reunited at Harry and Ginny's wedding last year. I hadn't seen her since school and we both had a lot to drink that night – pretty sure half the people there did – and we woke up together the next morning and decided to be a couple."

As he spoke, his face got harder and harder.

"I'm not exactly sure how it happened, she was fairly sneaky about it all looking back on our time together, but a month later we were living together in her flat above the Leaky."

"That seems really fast." Pansy commented.

"She was sweet at first. In the back of my mind, yeah, I knew we were moving really fast but she convinced me that we were it for each other. A few days after we moved in, she told me her father was dying. He was a Muggle-Born, and her mum had been killed by Death Eater's back in Sixth year. She told me…" he paused and anger flashed behind his eyes. Pansy leaned in further and gripped his hands harder when she realized how stressed he was.

He flashed a tense smile and continued. "She told me her father wanted nothing more than to see his daughter walk down the aisle. Next thing I knew, we were getting married in a Muggle church, like her father wanted."

"That is fast."

"Yeah," he laughed bitterly. "She started planning our Wizarding wedding and she, well she changed a lot after those first few months. I kept catching her in little lies, like I didn't understand why someone would lie about something so insignificant. She would tell me we were out of milk when we weren't, or we didn't need milk when we did. She would go out with one friend and tell me she was with another. Then she would get mad at me for questioning her about it. Why didn't I understand her? She would ask. Why marry her, if I was just going to question her all the time. And I would feel like shit and apologize to her. Fuck. Why didn't I realize sooner? She controlled me… she hated when I went to work, but hated when I didn't give her space. I tried so damn hard…"

"Did you ever love her?" Pansy asked, unable to help herself.

"I – I think… thought… I did."He responded, caught off guard by her question. He thought about the first month of his and Hannah's relationship. How it just felt like they had been together for years and years, as if they had skipped the beginning and got right into the middle of a relationship.

"Heather said some things…"

"I just bet she did." he said bitterly. "She helped you know… she would egg Hannah on, give her ideas. I wish I knew what they were playing at."

"I'm sorry… I didn't know."

Neville rubbed his fingertips over hers, feeling that familiar spark between them. It was addictive. He couldn't help when he said it. "But you know, I never showed her my greenhouses."

Pansy sucked in a breath and his hand left her to push her bangs out of her face.

"You have the prettiest eyes, Pansy." he said softly.

Her stomach did a flip. Then another one. Even after only a week, she knew how much time and effort Neville had put into his gardening, how much it meant to him. And he had shown it to her. She suppressed a grin as he continued.

"Maybe I didn't. Love her I mean, we just jumped right into the thick of things without ever talking about it. She just expected so much out of me, but I couldn't get anything out of her. She wanted me to be – er well – controlling if you get what I mean, without actually being in control of anything. Finances, the household, our social life, the sex – nothing, I controlled nothing. About a week before our binding ceremony, she finally met my Gran, and that's when I realized she was just not the witch for me. Gran tore into her after only 5 minutes, asking what spell she had put me under, what had she done to me. That's when I realized how unlike myself I had become. It made me so angry. We haven't been able to be in the same room since, not without fighting."

He took a deep breath and set his jaw, his gaze focusing slightly away from her like he was expecting her to yell at him or something. Pansy processed everything he said and bit at her lip. She didn't like Hannah before, now she hated the witch. Fully admitting to herself that she might be biased, she didn't care either way. She'd been on one date with Neville and snogged him senseless twice. She had spent way less time with him than Hannah and still, she knew him better than the blonde witch ever would.

Pansy realized the witch had done a major number on Neville. Neville, who was rather dominant, wasn't allowed to be in control in his last relationship. She thought of the letters he had sent and the petals that had come with them, leaving her no room for negotiation on their dates, except she didn't feel forced into anything either. He was dominant, but a protector. He was a romantic, but realistic and competent. And by all the gods, the Gryffindor could kiss as well.

She leaned forward and interlaced her fingers with his, pulling his gaze to hers. "So, you are married to Hannah, but you two aren't bound?"

He nodded, with the same guilty look he had in her shop.

She continued, "Excuse me for my ignorance in muggle marriage, but is there any way to get out of it? I assume you would if you could."

He nodded again, the guilt replaced by anger. "I've been trying. And, as far as the Ministry of Magic and the whole wizarding world go, I'm a free man."

"Then… I no longer think you are scum." She tried at a joke, keeping her voice light.

It worked, his lip twitched into a small smile and his eyes darkened in a way that made heat flare in her stomach. "And I happen to think you are the exact opposite of scum."

Pansy grinned. "Thank you. That is possibly the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"You're lacking in romance? I can do romance." he gave her a killer smile that she felt jolt straight to her core and she remembered what he said about her eyes. She didn't doubt he could do romance for one second.


	15. Emotional Baggage Coup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad, sad angst ahead! And swearing. So much swearing and I'm not sorry.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 15

August 5th, 2006

"Oh?" she asked tentatively. "The rose petals." And the look he was giving her melted her insides.

"I chose them because you smell like roses to me. Did you like them?" His fingers traveled to her wrists and magic sparked between them again. She felt herself falling into his gaze and feeling trust for the first time. She trusted him not to hurt her.

"I do like them." she said to his smile.

"So now you know my major baggage, want to go all out and tell me yours?"

Blaise Zabini's face came to her mind along with the smells of sex and the sounds of her crying.

Baggage? She had so much more than baggage.

He studied her face then said, "You don't have to. I didn't mean to pry…"

"No, I… you showed me your emotional scars… I can show you some of mine…"

Pansy sighed heavily as she leaned into Neville. The two of them cuddled up into each other on her couch and watched out the window in front of them as the sun set over the tall trees in her back yard.

"Final year at Hogwart's…" Neville made an mmming noise as she got comfortable. "Well you remember, I'm sure. I was a nightmare. And I was unhappy." She admitted. He slowly ran his right hand through her hair, separating the strands and occasionally pulling out bits of stray potion ingredients. He hadn't asked about that yet, but he would. They had all night.

"The Carrows were especially hard to deal with as the year went on, they expected more and more from me and I wanted less and less to do with them." She found herself gently stroking the scars on his face. "I started staying in my dorm as much as I could and I – I…" She shivered as images of her dark dorm rooms came to mind.

"It's okay – you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," Neville said gently into her hair. His left hand was on her waist, holding her against his body. She turned slightly so she could look up at him.

"This," She gestured between them. "No matter how fast it may seem, what's between us is important. I don't want to move in with you, now or even in the next month. But you need to know things about me, just like I needed to know things about you."

He held her gaze, continuing to run his fingers through her hair. "I agree. You're important to me Pansy. I don't know why, I can't explain it."

"Me either, we don't need to either. Not right now. Eventually…"

"Yeah, eventually…"

"But for now, just shut up and listen to my dark and evil past." She raised a single eyebrow and gave him her best Slytherin smile. It worked, he laughed.

"Yes ma'am."

She took in a shuddering breath. She had a feeling he wouldn't think any less of her by admitting it, but it was hard to do. Even admitting it to herself all those years ago had taken a lot of courage she didn't have. She had leaned on Theo so much, she knew she never would have gotten better without that man. "I let men have sex with me... Let them hurt me… a lot… almost every night."

His body grew tense and hard beneath her and she turned to look up at him again, not sure what to expect. He was completely still before he said, "Go on."

She swallowed and continued. "The last few months I was only with one guy. We had an understanding. I wanted to be hurt, and he wanted to forget. He has a shitty mum and a slew of step-fathers and we were both having a hard time so… we lost ourselves in each other, even though there was no love between us." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I wanted to be hurt and he wanted to hurt someone so it worked out well."

"Who?" He asked, voice rough.

"His name is Blaise Zabini."

She looked out the window as the sun finally slipped behind the trees and the light in the room dimmed significantly. It was the first time since Theo she admitted to what she went through in school, even if she brought it on herself. She felt the hurt from that year slip away with the sun as if the darkness mixed with the feel of Neville beneath her finally allowed her to breathe freely.

Then she felt Neville's left hand slide up from her waist to her chin where he titled her face so he could look directly at her. The complete look of anger made her recoil but she couldn't go anywhere with the hard band that was Neville's arms around her. 

Breathing hard he said, "Don't you ever – I would never hurt you like that, I couldn't…" He stopped talking but the message was clear: He wouldn't allow Pansy to hurt herself like that and he wouldn't contribute to it either.

She sniffed once before saying, "I don't do that anymore, Neville. I haven't been with anyone since the end of 7th year."

"Good." Was all he said, the tense moment passing when he moved his hand back to her waist.

She swallowed hard again and settled back into his chest. "The night before Easter break, I felt a little sick so I went to the hospital wing. I found out – I found out I was pregnant. Contraceptive Charm didn't stick…" She paused.

Pomfrey had used words like 'Vaginal tearing' and asked if someone had forced themselves on her. Neville didn't need to know about that though so she said, "I made her promise not to tell anyone, seeing as term would be over before I would really start to show, I could use glamour if needed. I would keep my head down the rest of the year and then move to Antarctica so my baby would be safe. I decided Blaise didn't need to know, he – he wouldn't care, he wouldn't want the baby anyways."

Neville's arms tightened almost painfully around her middle, but she didn't care. It had been a long time since anyone else had held her like they cared. "Pansy," He began, his voice angry and body tensed all around her. "I can't imagine – and I'm here, talk as long as you need. Does anyone else know?"

"Theo knows some of it, not…. not everything though. Draco knows too, not about the pregnancy… but he knew a lot it."

"Theo…. Theodore Nott?" He asked.

"Yes, he's my best and only friend." She admitted.

He gently moved his hand back and forth along the side of her waist, but paused when he realized that no child was running around this house and Pansy hadn't mentioned any either.

"What happened?" He asked.

She took a deep breath and then turned over, burying her face into his chest. He shifted with her, wrapping both arms around her back, comforting her as much as he could. She didn't cry, and after a long minute, she lifted her head and their eyes met. Bright purple met deep blue.

"I got what was coming to me," she said, the words sounding hollow.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, tempted to feel angry.

"What I did… to you…" She whispered, her eyes going to the scars around his eyes. "I got that, only worse… I deserved it… all the things I did and the all the things I should've stopped…"

Anger and power flashed behind his eyes when he realized she meant the Cruciatus Curse. His face turned hard. "Who – who the fuck did that to you?" He said in a dangerous voice.

Her eyes watered but she held back tears and said, "Voldemort."

"What?!" He shouted. "When!"

"A few days after – after the battle. We were in my family's old manor. Voldemort was there, he wasn't whole… it was… that was the night my father died. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Yaxley died as well. Voldemort tortured me with the Cruciatus Curse and – and my body aborted the baby. I was in the media as a Death Eater that day and Voldemort killed my baby." Now she was crying, thick hot tears coming down her cheeks. He was shaking with anger, jaw locked and eyes wide as he looked at her. She sniffled and tried to get up but he held her tight to his chest.

"No." Was all he said, anger practically radiating off him in waves. "Not yet."

She collapsed into his chest and his body continued to shake with anger. Several minutes passed, both entangled and emotional. She stopped crying and kept her face hidden in his shirt, she realized it smelled of roses and the delicate scent mixed with his own earthy and lemongrass scent to calm her down further.

As her body relaxed against him, his did as well. Slowly, he stopped shaking and began running his fingers through her long locks of dark hair again.

"No one knows, not the Order or the Ministry. Officially the last time anyone saw Voldemort was at Hogwart's." He said finally, voice calm, though she still sensed something dangerous beneath his words.

"Draco was there that night, though… I doubt he would remember much. He got knocked out. And his father died too…" She said, and then feeling brave, she lifted her head and looked at Neville.

His gaze bore into her, and she felt like it was a promise.

He said, "Pansy, you're safe. I – I won't ever hurt you."

"I don't think you would." she said. "I trust you, I don't know why but I do…"

"Good." he said again. His hands felt rough and yet perfect on her. Safe. She felt so safe with him. He didn't judge her, he didn't think she deserved it.

"I will never hurt you." he repeated. "Not on purpose, not physically, not ever. I'm sorry you felt you had to share that, though I'm glad you did."

"Emotional baggage right?" she gave a sad little laugh. "You're right. Us? We probably have so much to overcome."

"I guess, since it's you and me, we couldn't do this the easy way. I wouldn't even know how. But I'm with you. I promise."

She looked up at him again. "I'm with you."


	16. Firewhisey Heals All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More alcohol consumption. Sorry but drunk Slytherins get me going!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 16

August 5th, 2006

His words rang through her head, I'm with you. I promise. Words she hadn't realized how badly she needed to hear. Theo was a rock, a solid foundation in her life she couldn't trade for anything, a best friend she could share so much with, and above all else, loyal to a T. But Neville... Neville was becoming a fire in heart, burning away some of the hurts of her life like nothing else could. His magic made her heart beat faster.

There was nothing better he could have said. I'm with you. I promise.

His face held no lies, and her eyes lingered on the scarred skin around his eyes. His promise soaked into her bones, warming her up and his arms banded around her like a strong blanket. She nuzzled her face into his neck, their bodies fitting together perfectly. His presence felt right to her, their past was another lifetime.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his skin. His hands firmly placed on her back. "I promise too. I won't ever hurt you again, Neville. And… and I'm sorry I got so angry at you."

He shuddered under her body at her promise and he started running his fingers up and down her back, playing with the long locks of hair that rested there.

"Anger is fine." He said after a comfortable minute of silence, the two of them lying together. "I can deal with an angry witch. What I can't deal with is the silent treatment... Hannah… that was her specialty."

Pansy made a huffing sound in his neck, her breath tickling his ear a bit. "I don't do silent treatment. I'm more likely to get into your face and yell until I get what I want. And when I cry," She gestured to her red eyes and crusty nose. "It's not pretty."

"You got that right, Pans." A new voice said from behind them, followed up with a snort of laughter.

Neville was up off the couch with reflexes honed by his Auror work and had Pansy behind him in an instant, his wand out and pointed at Pansy's best friend.

"Wait, Neville, it's Theo. It's only Theo." Pansy panted, tugging on his wand arm, though it didn't budge even an inch.

Theo was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his dark brown hair slicked back, arms crossed, and leaning casually against the frame as if he had Auror's pointing wands at him all the time.

"Sorry to interrupt," Theo said gesturing to the couch, though he didn't look or sound sorry at all. "I thought for sure Pansy would be alone and in need of some comfort by now. I see am wrong about the first and too late to do anything about the second."

Neville finally lowered his wand and Pansy walked around him to hug Theo around the middle.

"Don't worry," he said, hugging her back. "I only heard the last little bit about sappy promises and ugly crying, which she's right about, by the way. It's hideous when she cries. And when she yells, you'll have to do an Ear Plug Charm, because it's louder than any banshee you've met."

Pansy gave him a watery smile and a slap on the arm. "Shut your mouth, Theodore Nott. Come in and I'll get us some drinks. You remember Neville? Neville," She waved him over. "This is my very good friend, Theo." And she rushed off to the kitchen leaving the two dark haired men alone.

They eyed each other wearily before Theo took a step forward offering his hand. "Theo Nott, nice to see you again, mate."

Neville put his wand away and reached forward to take the man's hand in a firm shake. "Neville Longbottom. Nice to see you again as well, I think I saw you at the Annual Auror's Ball though."

"Ah yes, back in March? I was a plus one, dreadfully boring event if you ask me." They both stood awkwardly and then each took a seat, Neville back on the couch, and Theo sitting in the chair opposite of the couch.

Clearing his throat Neville said, "Were you there with Demelza? I think I remember seeing you two dancing together."

"Ah… no." Theo replied, fidgeting a bit with the inside of his collar. "Demelza did some work for my charity at St. Mungo's last couple of years. Have you met Samuel McGee?"

"Unfortunately." Neville rolled his eyes, picturing his boss, the biggest moron ever hired at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Then seeing the look on Theo's face he sat up a bit and said, "Er- sorry, he's my boss."

"Ah well he's my ex. Miserable prat, isn't he?"

Understanding finally, Neville nodded. "Miserable, yep that's the word. How he got his job I'll never understand. Man is afraid of his own shadow. Malfoy and I can't stand him."

"I heard you two were partnered up. I offer my sincerest condolences."

"Huh, for some reason I don't believe you."

They shared a laugh, then Theo's face straightened a bit.

"You'll have some trouble with the two of them, Pansy and Malfoy. He left her in a bad place a few years back." He tone made Neville think Malfoy was in a bad place with Theo as well.

"I'll kill him if ever says or does anything to Pansy." He responded in a hard voice. It was the right thing to say because Theo smirked and nodded.

"I'll help."

While both men were laughing, Pansy walked into the room with a bottle of firewhiskey and 3 glasses floating behind her.

"Oh no, don't tell me you two are actually getting along?" She teased, directing the glasses to the coffee table and pouring the warm, amber liquid for the three of them.

"I wouldn't dream of it, dear." Theo said, reaching for his glass and giving a silent toast to both Pansy and Neville before shooting it back.

Pansy sat down next to Neville, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"I thought this night would call for something a little stronger than wine." She said, gesturing to the firewhiskey. They both gripped their glasses and cheered, before shooting theirs back as Theo had done.

"Wow," Neville licked his lips. "This is nice firewhiskey."

"Theo keeps me well stocked. And he won't drink anything less than the best quality."

"Right she is. I'm sitting on generations old piles of gold, need to spend it on something good." Theo leaned forward and poured them all another round.

"Cheers to that then." Neville said lifting his glass and sipped at the warm liquor, feeling as the liquid fire spread across his chest.

"Is it true then?" Theo asked him after he and Pansy shot theirs back.

"Is what true?"

"We always heard that Gryffindor's can't hold their liquor down." He smirked, pouring another shot.

Pansy groaned and said, "Just because you can drink all day and night doesn't mean everyone can, Theo. They call that alcoholism by the way. It's a disease."

"One I'm quite proud of, anyways. There are other less savory diseases one can get."

Pansy just groaned again and Neville laughed. "I haven't heard anything about Gryffindor's not being able to hold their drinks, but I know I am on the lightweight side. Harry too. The Weasley's though," he said fondly. "Now they can drink. Ginny especially."

"Well then," Theo said after a pause. "There goes that theory."

"I wouldn't recommend drinking with them though," Neville cautioned. "They get very competitive."

Theo's eyes lit up in delight. "I love a little competition. Maybe you could make an introduction."

Neville caught Pansy's eyes and grinned. "I would love to." And he shot back the rest of his whiskey.


	17. Bath Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexy sexy scenes ahead!!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 17

August 6th, 2006

His head pounded and his left arm was totally asleep. He could smell the dark aroma of fresh coffee and the gentle rosy scent he was starting to associate with Pansy. His right eye blinked, the left eye too crusty to open, and he saw a steaming mug of coffee sitting on the table next to him. A small cup of cream and a bowl of sugar cubes sat neatly by the steaming mug, and it called him to full wakefulness.

Coughing a bit, he sat up and took inventory of his person. He was wearing socks, but no shoes, a pair of flannel pajama pants that were bright pink and had tiny white roses on them, and no shirt.

"What?" He wondered out loud. What the hell was he wearing?

"Are you awake now, Neville?" Pansy's voice called to him from the kitchen.

He shook his head and realized he was still at Pansy's cottage. Working as an Auror had made way for his addiction of black coffee. He reached forward and grabbed the mug of coffee, bringing it to his lips and taking a sip.

"Man, that's good coffee." Standing up, which hurt a bit, he stretched and walked to the doorway that led to Pansy's kitchen. She was standing next to an old fashion white stove in white cotton pajama shorts and a green tank top. There was a small eat in kitchen table that had breakfast items set out on it. It sat in a cozy cove with large windows surrounding it, opened to let the morning air flow into the room. As he leaned against the door frame, last night became clearer and clearer. Pansy and Theo were drinkers and Neville hadn't a hope in hell of keeping up with the two. He remembered laughing, laughing a lot.

Pansy hummed a bit as she worked, levitating a delicious looking spread to the table without turning around or looking. He admired her magic, her Levitation Charm especially. He had seen it a couple of times now and she didn't even have to focus on it anymore.

His eyes wandered down to her legs, creamy white and smooth and feet tucked into a pair of fuzzy wool socks. He drank from his coffee cup and even with his head pounding, felt at peace. He was drawn to the promise of this woman, drawn to her quiet demeanor and anxious to see that wicked smile peak through.

With a snap of her wand she had the stove clean and turned to face him. She started a bit but then smiled, walking over to him and grabbing a small white potion vial from the counter. Her eyes flashed to his bare chest. She had taken a quick peak at that chest last night, but hadn't had time to really look... until now.

Scars crisscrossed all over his upper body, silvery lines that drew her eye and she wondered briefly what they tasted like.

"So what am I wearing?" He asked her as she walked towards him, a smug feeling rising through his chest at her lingering looks. She looked down to his pink pajama bottoms and laughed.

"They used to me mine, but I transfigured them for Theo one night a couple years ago. I didn't trust my wandwork enough to get something less feminine for you to wear... Do you remember putting them on?" She asked, the tops of her cheeks reddening just a touch.

"No, sadly. Did you watch?" His voice husky as he asked the question.

"Drink this," She smiled warmly, purposely ignoring the question, and held the potion bottle out to him.

"What is it?" He asked, taking the bottle and drinking its contents immediately. "Whoa, that's… that is very minty." Though there was an overpowering and cool tang of mint, his head cleared and his body aches subsided, leaving only the warm, happy feeling his chest had found sometime last night. Between the drinks, getting to know Pansy and Theo, and all the laughing the three did together, the feeling had settled in his chest and apparently stayed overnight.

"Sorry, it's my own hangover cure potion. The mint balances the mandrake root, but something about the root magnifies the mint flavor. Can't really figure out a way around it and I don't really want to so I haven't bothered." She said as she took the empty bottle out of his hand, their fingers brushing together. "Mint isn't too horrible a taste and I… I made breakfast for us, if you want." She said distracted by his fingers which were traveling up her arms, her eyes glued to his lips.

She thought of how adorable he had looked trying to keep up drinking with Theo and her and then of tucking in a passed out Neville on her couch last night, appreciating how very delicious his chest looked, summoning an extra blanket for him and hoping he was comfortable on the too short furniture. His hair was mussed and lay across his forehead attractively, even as he slept. She and Theo had curled up together in her bed much later feeling tipsy and giggly.

She thought of the promise in Neville's eyes last night and the weight of their attraction to one another. It combined and settled joyfully in her heart.

His lips which were coming closer or maybe she was leaning in, and she thought of his acceptance of her and her hurts and something clicked. Then his lips were on hers.

She grinned into his kiss and he grinned back before kissing her harder, planting his hands on her bottom and lifting her up to sit on the counter.

Pansy squeaked a bit before settling into him, her legs parting automatically and he took advantage by moving his body into the space. It felt as if they had been waiting forever for this. Her arms came around his neck and finally, their bodies were pressed together, locked into a kiss that felt so right and perfect. He held her head firmly in place with one hand; his other hand gripped her back, pushing her body closer to his.

It felt delicious.

It sizzled and seared.

She moaned into his mouth when she felt his erection pushing into her core, a sensation she hadn't felt for a long time overwhelming her and pushing up goose-bumps all along her neck and shoulders. Her breasts felt hard, pressing into his bare chest through her thin tank top. She moaned again.

His hands tightened on her at the sound of that moan, his fingers digging into the flesh on her back, then lower... She cried out as he pushed her roughly into the cabinet door behind her, the hard length of his erection rubbing against her center and making her womb clench. He had total control of her, his mouth moving perfectly against her own. She had never felt so possessed, so wanted.

She wrenched her face away from his and panted for breath. He used the hand buried in her hair, gripping the back of her head, to force her lips back to his and it caused her to whimper in his mouth. Her mind flashed to the kiss their shared at her work, his gravelly voice telling her she shouldn't have stopped him...

She couldn't this time. She wouldn't. 

He tasted of mint and smelled of firewhiskey and his mouth was magic, sucking on her tongue and coaxing moan after moan from her. Her legs lifted on their own accord, wrapping around his waist line, and pulling him even closer to her body.

It was fire.

He shuddered against her and broke away from the kiss, burying his head into her neck. Taking deep breaths he said in a quiet voice, "If we go on like this, I fear I am going to embarrass myself."

Gulping, Pansy nodded understanding that even with the attraction between them, it was going quite fast. "Would you…" She breathed. "Would you like some breakfast?"

He nodded into her neck and finally stepped back, helping her off the counter and holding on as she found her footing.

"Actually, mind if I take a quick shower?"

She shook her head, swallowing hard. She summoned her wand to her hand and put a stasis charm on the table, keeping their breakfast warm and took his hand gently in her own. "I'll show you to my bathroom."

She led him back into the living room, towards the stair case and up into her bed room where Theo was still passed out in her white sheets, his head buried under a pillow, and dark hair sticking out in all directions.

She held up a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet and tip toed across the room to a door on the opposite wall.

He walked in first and Pansy came in behind him, closing the door as quietly as she could. She put a silencing charm on the room so Theo wouldn't be disturbed and set her wand down by the sink. She turned and leaned against the door, eyes moving to Neville. He was staring miserably at the tub.

Her tub, big, claw footed, and with high sides so she could soak happily whenever she wanted.

"I can charm the faucet into a shower head for you, if you really want to take a shower." She said quietly.

He nodded and said, "A bath definitely wouldn't… er… help with my situation."

Her eyes flickered to his crotch and then back up to his face.

"Or," she started in a quiet voice that spoke of sex. "I could take a bath with you."


	18. Could Be a Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Major explicit sex scenes ahead!!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 18

August 6th, 2006

Neville's heart fluttered and his stomach tightened with heat as he finally registered her words.

"I could take a bath with you."

She was giving him the choice. She wouldn't make him feel badly if he didn't want to have sex with her. She wouldn't use this as a weapon against him. It was his choice.

He took a deep breath. "Pansy, there's no way … I couldn't… I wouldn't be able to constrain myself… if you get what I mean."

She locked the door behind her and took a step forward. "I trust you, Neville. I trust that you won't hurt me."

"You know that I wouldn't… I won't hurt you, ever. Not like that." His eyes flashed with the need to protect her. It melted her insides.

She nodded, placing her hands on his bare chest and looking up to his eyes again. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation.

"Then I want to do this. And I think you do too. But if you want me to leave, I will. No ultimatums, no manipulations... just us."

He felt relieved and excited even as he considered her words. "I feel like I would be taking advantage of you, after everything that we talked about last night." He wrapped both his bare arms around her. "It was emotional for both of us."

"I was feeling rather… battered last night." She admitted, looking away and letting her bangs fall into her eyes.

He reached up and pushed the dark hair away from her face, cupping her cheek.

"But you helped me more than you can imagine, just by listening to my story." She nuzzled her face into his chest, enjoying how hard he felt under her hands. "And seeing you and Theo get along last night and all of us talking and laughing, that was a weight lifting off me I didn't know I was carrying around all these years… no, Neville. You wouldn't be taking advantage. I promise."

He held her for a long time, hand tangled in her hair, one arm wrapped around her waist.

"I promise." She repeated.

He slowly nodded. Last night had been the first major step in their relationship, he felt like. Every moment from then on would be built on what they shared. And he was excited for those moments. A moment like this... "Alright, let's take a bath then."

She grinned and took the few steps away from him, towards the small cabinet that held her bath supplies. Kneeling down, she turned the brass knobs at the head of the tub until hot water came rushing out of the faucet and filling up the enormous tub. She poured in Barby's Golden Bubbles Exquisite Bubble Bath Solution For The Modern Witch and watched as golden bubbles of all sizes began appearing on top of the water, a few of them floating up into the air. She turned and looked at Neville.

Gods, he was handsome. She knew few would agree with her assessment, because of the scars on his face. But to Pansy, they represented his strength, made him striking. They represented everything he had to overcome, including her. She had marked him for life and in a twisted sort of way she liked that, even if she wished she hadn't done it.

She thought of the last time she was intimate with a man, she hadn't been in a long time, but her nerves from earlier were gone and only excitement remained. She woke up wanting this, thinking of his roughened hands and hard lips.

He reached forward and gently wrapped his arm around her middle, bringing her close to him and pressing those lips against hers. Unlike earlier, this kiss was sweet and gentle. He sucked softly on her bottom lip and rubbed circles with his fingers into her back at the same time, her hands coming to rest on his chest.

He lifted two fingers to tilt her chin up, giving him better access to her lips. He cupped her face with the same hand, running the pad of thumb across her cheek back and forth.

He wanted to say sweet words to her, telling her she was beautiful and extraordinary and talented and her hair was shiny and whatever else came to mind. Instead he pushed her bangs back and looked into pretty purple eyes and said, "Mine."

Her bottom lip quivered and she nodded back at him. "Yours."

She shivered and turned around, her back now pressing against his front. She looked down at the tub, nearly half full now, and put both hands on the bottom of her tank. She lifted it over her head slowly and dropped the fabric off to the side, feeling more confident as his hands roamed over her.

He looked down at her back, loving the way her shoulder blades poked out and the way her hips dimpled before curving into her bottom. He closed the small space between them and placed both his hands on her stomach as he leaned down to kiss along her shoulder, her head leaning back to accommodate his mouth. Moving his hands up to cup both her breasts, he moved his kisses up towards her neck, enjoying the soft mewling sounds she started to make. Her breasts were the size of apples and fit perfectly in his hands. She gasped as he flicked his thumb against each nipple; he did it again to see if she would make the same sound. She did.

He groped her gently listening as her breath quickened, before sliding his hands down her stomach again, causing her breathing to falter completely. He hooked his thumbs into the waist of her shorts and started pushing them down, kissing along her spine as he pushed the fabric down. Then he cursed when he saw what was underneath her shorts.

"Pansy, you're not wearing any panties."

She let out a soft chuckle. "I don't wear them normally."

He cursed again at her laughing and rid her completely of her shorts. She turned again and stood before him, completely naked. Her breasts looked as good as they felt, her nipples surrounded by dark fleshy red.

She couldn't help the shiver that raked her body, standing there beneath his gaze. He was ravishing her with his eyes and she had never felt so good.

"Your turn," she motioned to his pajamas and he smiled. He pushed down his fuzzy pants and boxers in one go. Then he took each sock off.

They both stood naked and admiring, adoring each other. Scars crisscrossed all over his body. He had burn marks along one shoulder. But his body was hard from Auror training and weathered from working in his garden. He needed to shave. His hair was messed up from a night of drinking.

He looked perfect.

He put both hands around her bare bottom and lifted her up. "This might be a disaster but let's give it a go, ya?" He stepped into the bath tub and very slowly lowered himself into a sitting position, bringing her down on top of him. Her knees straddled his sides and she felt the tip of his penis brush her center as hot water and bright golden bubbles surrounded them.

She giggled when he slipped a bit, but then he righted himself, bracing his feet at the end of the tub and his hands resting on her hips. She rose above him, her long black hair cascading around her shoulders and the tips falling into the water. She turned her body and shut off the faucet, when she turned back, Neville had his eyes closed tightly.

"Neville…" She asked nervously.

"I'm just trying not to embarrass myself," his voice was raspy with arousal. "I'm not going to embarrass myself... not..."

She rocked her hips over his erection, the hot soapy water creating the most exquisite friction between them. It felt exactly right.

He hissed out. "Do that again." He demanded.

She did and leaned in a bit to place a hand on his shoulder, bracing herself. He rubbed his hand over her bottom, enjoying the curve there and with his other hand glided his fingers to the folds between her legs. At her nod and sharp intake of breath, he gently rubbed back and forth, loving how wet she felt even in the water, and slowly pushed a finger inside her. She whimpered at his invasion and twitched her hips.

"Neville…"

He pushed back and forth, smoothly rocking his finger inside her. Stretching her and making her moan his name in that husky voice of hers. He gripped her hip with his other hand and held her in place as he added another finger.

She cried out and the sound made his cock jump. Her eyes fluttered closed as she moaned above him, his fingers pushed harder and further inside of her as he moved his thumb through her folds, until he found her clit. He brushed his thumb over it quickly and watched as she shouted out loudly and her body shuddered above him. He withdrew his fingers and buried his head into her neck, sucking on the skin and pulling her soapy body closer to him.

"Look what you do to me," he whispered into her ear. She sat back, eyes heavy with pleasure, and looked between them, seeing his erection poking out of the water.

"Oh my…" She smiled a bit shyly but moved her knees up until she hovered over his erection. His hands came out of the water and gripped her hips again. He squeezed once before pulling her down towards his cock, her hand coming down between them and positioning him at her entrance.

He took a deep breath and looked up into her eyes. "Pansy, I am not going to hurt you." He said as he thrust up inside of her, pulling her hips down at the same time.

She cried out as he moaned with pleasure. She was so unbelievably tight and warm and squeezing him. Her hands, gripping his shoulders, shook as her body shuddered with satisfaction above him.

"It's – it's too much, Neville." She whispered, trembling with pleasure.

"We'll practice." He promised. He withdrew from her and wrapped his arms around her middle, flipping them over so he was on top. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he re-positioned himself again at her entrance, gently sliding into her flesh for the second time. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he slid all the way into her, their bodies completely connected beneath the water. He kissed her and started gently withdrawing his length before pushing back. Her body tensed and moaned with the action.

He did it again and he felt her hips twitch. They went on like this for several minutes until she was well and truly stretched, her body shivering beneath him. She panted between kisses, the water and bubbles rocking around them.

"You're amazing." he said to her, sucking on her lips.

"Neville, please… I need…" Her entire body felt hot and needy.

He thrust roughly against her and had the pleasure of hearing her scream out. He did it again and she screamed again, suddenly breathless for him. Their hips started rocking together quickly, finding a perfect rhythm. The water splashed wildly around them as he thrust harder and harder into her, her face a picture of ecstasy. He pinned her hips down to the bottom of the tub and thrust as hard as he could, both of them yelling out together. Her body trembled beneath him as she shattered, coming hard around his cock.

"Neville, oh Neville…"

He buried himself to the hilt over and over again, enjoying every soft piece of her body, loving her gasping moans, until finally releasing inside her with a yell.

They lay together in the water, panting and feeling beyond satisfied for several minutes.

Then he lifted his head, kissing her, pushing her wet hair away from her face. "Okay? Are you okay? Gods that was amazing, Pansy."

She nodded, body still quivering with aftershocks of pleasure. "Are you okay?" Her voice cracked a bit.

"Best day of my life." He admitted, burying his face into her neck and hair.

"Mine too."


	19. Doom and Gloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Death and Dark Marks oh no! Nothing too detailed though!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 19

August 10th, 2006

Pansy walked into work exactly on time, carrying a new cauldron and smiling her head off, even if it was pouring down rain and thundering. Last Sunday had been amazing. Neville and Theo stayed for a late breakfast and then she and Neville had spent the rest of the day lazily tending to the small garden in her backyard. Between digging holes and moving plants into better sunlight, he would pat her butt affectionately and steal kisses when she wasn't looking. She happily returned the favor. Especially after seeing the work he did on her garden. 

He made love to her under her pretty willow tree, the long vines and soft green leaves a perfect cover, both of them covered in dirt. And she learned he like to talk during sex, telling her exactly what he was going to do, exactly how he was going to touch her. And how much she was going to enjoy it. 

They ate dinner together, laughing and flirting, and she invited him to stay the night. A night they spent being intimate in her bed until the very early hours of the morning.

She had woken up to the smell of coffee and eager, hungry kisses, before Neville told her he had to go to work early and he would see her soon. 

Not even the strange dreams she had been having on and off this week could throw her off.

He began teaching her how to produce a Patronus charm, making her giggle before she made each attempt. So far she only got some silvery sparks, but one time she thought she saw big, round eyes over the beak of an owl, and the sweep of a wing.

All week they spent like that, until she woke up on this stormy Thursday and he was already gone, but had left a note on her mug of coffee that had her toes curling and girly sighs coming from her lips. A bright sunshine yellow rose petal had fallen from the note and she wandered where it had come from, because he had been at her house all week and she certainly didn't have any rose bushes. The petal was now tucked away safely with the bright pink and deep red colored petals, all of them looking like they had just been picked off the flower and smelling just as divine as they always had.

With the back door firmly shut, she shook off the rain, hanging up her raincoat and pushing up the sleeves of her work robes. She could still hear rain pounding harshly against the roof and against the window with loud taps. She dropped her cauldron on the work table and stashed her packed lunch in the small cooling cabinet. She walked out to the front shop to grab the day's orders and say hello to Heather … and stopped dead in her tracks.

The front room, though the shop wasn't open for the day yet, was full of officials. Most of them had badges with the letters 'MLEP' flashing in silver but Draco Malfoy, wearing his Auror robes, was kneeling down behind the register, the white blonde of his hair slicked back and showing over the counter.

"CIVILIAN! BREECH IN SERCURITY! BREEEECH!" The yelling came from a short man with oily, short black hair and a soft chin. He pointed at Pansy running up to her and yelling in her face. "CIVILIAN IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

The room got quiet and then very loud as movement broke out, as people noticed her standing in the doorway.

Malfoy jumped up and walked over to her, pushing people out of his way. "McGee, you idiot. That's Ms. Parkinson, she works here. She's the one we were waiting on, remember?"

The short man, who wasn't much taller than her, took a step back and muttered apologies, but shot her a dark look.

"Draco? What's happened?" She asked the blonde, a sense of dread settling in her stomach.

He pulled her into the corner, using his body to shield her from the rest of the room and curious looks. "Pansy, sorry about him. Moron." He scoffed, throwing the man a look over his shoulder before turning back to Pansy.

"Draco, tell me what happened. Why are all these men here?" She said glancing over his shoulder towards the back wall where most the men were standing around something behind the counter, looking down.

"Did you just get here?" His tone had changed from concerned friend to Auror.

"I did, I walked in the back like I usually do. Why?" She asked again.

"Where were you yesterday?" He asked instead of answering her.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I was here until around 3, and then I went home. Why?"

"Can anyone confirm that?" She saw worry flash behind his silver eyes, knowing she only caught it because she used to know him so well.

"I was here with Heather and then I was home with Neville all evening and night. WHY?"

He sighed with relief as he watched her cross her arms and glared at him. "Didn't you see it, Pansy? Outside?"

Her heart rate picked up. "See what? I couldn't see anything in this rain."

"The Mark… The Dark Mark is right outside." His eyes flicked to the door and then back to her. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Shocked at his words, she jerked her chin up when he asked the question. "Worried? About me? Don't play games, Malfoy. Where is Heather?" She looked again at the counter and realization hit her. She pushed passed the blonde, knowing immediately just what all these officials were here for, her vision tunneling to the spot where men were standing in a circle.

She pushed passed them too and looked down. Her mind couldn't process what she saw.

Parts.

Parts and blood and dark magic.

"Oh Circe…" She braced her hand on the counter and focused on breathing through her mouth.

"Ms. Parkinson, we're going to have to see your wand right now!" The man Draco had referred to as 'McGee' said to her.

"What the fuck, McGee, can't you give her a minute. Look at her." Another man she didn't know said, giving her a small smile.

"Give the witch a moment to collect herself, McGee." Said another.

"We need to see if she is the one who caused this, not coddle her. This is Pansy Parkinson in case you didn't realize! She's a Death Eater!" He spat out, obviously trying to speak with authority, but sounding like nothing more than a child having a tantrum.

The room was full of wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Patrol but Pansy didn't think about that. Instead, memories of pure evil murdering her father assaulted her, echoes of the pain she had endured and what she had lost prickled across her skin. Her left arm struck out, her Willow wand suddenly in her hand and the tip cutting into the sweaty, fatty part of McGee's neck. The sleeves of her robe had been pushed up when she entered the shop. Now it showed the entire room the smooth, unblemished skin of her arm.

"Am I?" She said in a low voice.

His weak chin quivered at her tone. She raised an eyebrow, feeling an old but familiar sneer cross her lips.

"I – I am obviously misinformed." He whimpered. Draco stepped forward and put a hand on hers, gently pushing her arm down and lowering the wand from the man's neck.

She took a deep breath and looked back down at the nightmare that used to be her boss, Heather. They had never been friends, not really. But the two witches had worked together well and made good money from it.

And no one deserved to be brutalized like that, because whatever had happened, it had hurt. It had hurt a lot.

The group of men returned to the work they had been doing before Pansy entered the room, most of them eyeing her wand hand nervously. It was only then that she realized she had summoned her wand to her in front of them all. For the first time, she didn't care the stigma the ability had on it. She had just proved to a room full of Auror's and Law Patrol that she wasn't a Death Eater and she never had been.

Draco placed his slim hands on her shoulder and guided her away from the scene, back into the corner and away from Heather. Poor, dead Heather.

"I'm sorry to do this, Pansy. Would you hand over your wand for me?" He asked quietly, hands still on her shoulders, rubbing her comfortingly.

"Of course. I'm – I'm sorry about drawing my wand, I've not been myself lately." She handed over her precious Willow wand to his outstretched hand and he took a step back. Before he could test her wand, the front door opened causing the bell to chime loudly throughout the room and Neville walked in followed by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

Neville's hard eyes swept the room automatically, taking note of every person present, and then they landed on Pansy. Hard blue melted into softness. He walked over enveloping her entire form in his arms. She sighed into his chest, feeling better immediately, though even with her eyes closed she could still see the hellish remains behind the counter.

"Gods I was worried about you." He whispered into her hair. "Damnit, Malfoy. Did you let her see the body?"

"Let her?!" He cried in response, throwing up his palms.

"He didn't let me do anything, Neville." She said, squeezing his middle once before stepping back, though their hands remained interlaced. "He was just about to test my wand."

Draco made a face at his partner that reminded her of when he was a child and didn't get his way and held up his own wand casting Priori Incantatem on the Willow.

It was only after the pale green light revealed the last spell she cast when she realized the last time she used her wand was to cast a Contraceptive Charm the night before. With Neville.

She bit down on her lip as Harry, Ron, and Draco all looked at her with shock. Neville looked smug.

"I can confirm I was with Ms. Parkinson all night last night." He grinned, snatching the wand from Draco and handing it back to Pansy.

She surprised them all by hitting Neville in the chest.

"If-" she started forcibly. "-we're finished here, I'll go contact Heather's brother and let him know what's going on. Just let me know when you're done with everything and I'll shut down the shop for the time being…" And she marched into the back, purposely ignoring everyone else and the dropped jaws they had.

Harry and Ron cleared their throats at the same time.

"Alright, catch me up on what's going on. Is someone working on getting that mark out of the sky?" Harry said, taking charge and proving why they made him Head of the Auror Department.


	20. Broken Vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eee run! An angry Hufflepuff!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 20

August 10th, 2006

Pansy waited patiently in the back room, storing what she could and packing up some things that wouldn't keep until next week at the latest. She did a quick cleaning charm and the room was made spotless. She tried not to listen to the voices in the front room talk about the body or the great detail they used to describe the way she summoned her wand. She tried not to think about what she saw behind the counter and tried not to think about the last time she had seen Heather.

Neville had dropped her off from lunch yesterday, walking her by the front windows where Hannah and Heather could be seen chatting together at the register. Neville had taken one look at the look on Hannah's face, smirked wickedly, then leaned in and kissed Pansy until her cheeks were flushed with heat and her lips swelled up from use.

It had been hard, but she walked into the shop head held high and greeted Heather cordially all while ignoring Hannah's bitter sneer. Pansy had nosily snooped on them from behind her door until the two Hufflepuff's took off for lunch. When she finished all her daily orders and cleaned up for the day, Heather was still at lunch, never to be seen again by Pansy.

Now Pansy nervously released her hair from her ponytail and ran her hand through the dark strands. Her bangs separated and fell into her eyes, shielding her from the world. She had always worn her bangs like that before, over her eyes so anyone passing by couldn't immediately identify her by her unique eye color. But Neville had a habit of pushing them out of her face every time they fell down, so she'd been wearing them up this past week.

Now thoughts of the sunny, wonderful, sexy week she had mixed sorrowfully with the storm outside and flashes of Heather's broken, bloody body stabbed at her. Somehow it reminded her of the odd dreams she had been having the last few nights, though she didn't think they were actually dreams, she just didn't know what else to call them.

Always, it started with the sense of falling, though not fast. A slow, gliding descent in darkness. Though she wasn't scared of the darkness, it made her curious instead. She would fall for a long time, or not any time at all, before she was walking between a parted curtain in the darkness, the lines blurring together. And then she would stand in a small white room.

Though there was never anything in the room, she knew she needed more time to look around, because something was calling her there.

It was just odd.

She would wake up and the images would fade away so quickly, she would just be left with the sensation of knowing she was missing something.

Now, she huffed. There was nothing else to clean so she began reciting the process of making a Curing Potion.

Set a small cauldron to simmer.

Crush 5 sprigs of Heather Leaves...

Okay, not that one. Her mind jumped to another potion, but it wasn't working.

Argh! Tomato juice, American hot sauce, pepper, olives, a lime, a salt rim for your glass, and a ton of vodka. 

Stir and enjoy a Bloody Mary.

But even that couldn't soothe her.

Shaking herself, she walked over to the door and peeked out. The front of the shop was open, rain water pouring into the room while the Patrol men walked about, taking notes and examining the scene. Thunder boomed somewhere close by and Troy Primpernelle walked in, his black work robes soaked. Pansy stepped out to greet him, trying to think of anything to say to Heather's only brother and coming up with nothing suitable.

Troy's hair was usually a light brown and his skin tan from working long hours in the sun. The water made his hair look dark and his skin sallow and pale. It added to the dread written over his face. The look in his dark eyes made her heart hurt. Before she could say anything, what she didn't know, Hannah Abbott walked in behind Troy. Tension immediately filled the room. The group of Patrol men all stopped talking and watched her.

Pansy realized with no surprise that these men were Neville's friends. They all gave Hannah a hard look as she walked to Troy's side. When the blonde witch caught sight of Neville, she narrowed her eyes at him but kept walking until she stood by Troy, putting her arms around him. Troy leaned in to peck his lips gently against Hannah's, her eyes never leaving Neville's.

When Hannah finally turned to look at Troy full on, she caught sight of Pansy standing there and openly sneered.

"I guess this has something to do with your lot then? Your fucking Death Eater friends?" Her tone could cut. There was a burst of movement as men surrounded them and several people started talking at once.

"Ms. Parkinson has been cleared of any involvement, Ms. Abbott."

"Do you have information on her that is valid?"

"She isn't a Death Eater!"

Knowing they were defending her for Neville's sake and not her own, she still felt grateful as they shielded her from the spiteful witch. She watched as Hannah turned to one of the Patrols and said, "It's Mrs. Longbottom, actually!"

Troy looked sad but Neville looked livid, his eyes hardening and his whole frame growing tense as the group fought back and forth. Harry and Ron flanked him and Pansy knew she had to get the whole story between Hannah and Neville. Her behavior didn't match what she remembered of the quiet Hufflepuff from school, and she had never seen anyone so openly rude to a war hero. And yet... these men defended Neville, and herself, from Hannah.

"The Ministry doesn't recognize Muggle unions, Ms. Abbott." One of the Patrols said firmly, grabbing Hannah's arm.

"There's no record of a binding ceremony!"

Troy grabbed Hannah and pulled her back into his body away from the Patrol, creating an invisible line between the couple and the rest of the room.

"Please, can't we…" Troy started but Hannah quickly interrupted him.

"He still made vows to me which he has repeatedly broken as you can see," Hannah gestured violently in Pansy's direction. "And with someone who has obviously gotten my friend murdered in her own place of work!"

"Regardless this is a crime scene and you have no legitimate reason to be present."

"Legitimate reason– Heather was my best friend and I can guarantee that foul slag had something to do with this!" Hannah screeched, pointing at Pansy like she was trying to curse her with her finger.

Neville finally stepped forward, visibly shaking, and put himself between Pansy and Hannah, "She had nothing to do with this. She just works here. You however have no official capacity here and should leave." His tone left no room for argument and Hannah looked enraged but kept her mouth shut finally.

Neville stepped back to Pansy and whispered in her ear, "Do not let her see you summon your wand, okay?" She had confided in him her little ability days ago. He already knew some of her darkest secrets after that night together, she couldn't think of a reason to keep another from him.

She nodded and after making sure everyone could see her, she met Hannah's eyes and very slowly put her hand on Neville's chest staking her claim. She could be a bitch too. She just knew how to play the game better.

Hannah's eyes narrowed again and Pansy knew she had made a permanent enemy.

Finally Troy spoke up, "Look let me just – I just came for Heather okay? Let's be civil."

The tension broke a bit and Neville and Harry put a hand on either side of Pansy leading her to her back room, though she could still hear Hannah muttering under her breath, she ignored the words of hate. With the door shut firmly behind them, Harry stopped and turned to look at her.

"God she's foul." He said rolling his eyes in Neville's direction.

"It's your bloody fault, you know." Neville said, taking Pansy into his arms. "Met her at your wedding."

"Yeah – yeah I've heard before. I definitely don't remember making you date her though." Harry rolled his eyes dramatically again and then turned to her. His shoulders straightened while he cleared his throat. "Ms. Parkinson, I have been ordered by my wife to issue you an invitation to her birthday party tomorrow night at 7. Gifts are not optional." His voice was formal, but his lips hid a small smile.

Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't that.

"I – what?" She said dumbly, caught off guard. She had been expecting more questions about Heather, maybe even another fight to defend her and Neville's relationship, because spiteful exes aside she planned to keep Neville. Was Harry Potter of all people offering an olive branch?

"I'd feel bad for you, but well," he shrugged leaving things unsaid. "If you're serious about Neville, you'll have to get used to us eventually. Might as well start now." And he turned and walked back into the front room without another word.

Neville tugged her arm gently and she found herself being pulled into a bear hug. She closed her eyes and relaxed against his chest, the warmth of his robes seeping into her.

"Neville? Do you want me to go?" She suddenly had a horribly vivid vision of Weasley's all surrounding her and turning her body into a rump roast while laughing and red hair... red hair everywhere.

"I was going to talk to you about it tonight. I hoped you would be comfortable coming, but I know how crazy this lot can get… and while I have seen them be forgiving, they can hold a grudge just as well."

She nodded, her face still buried in his robes, and inhaled his earthy scent into her nose "Is all this what called you away early this morning? This terrible thing with Heather?"

He shook his head, voicing dropping low. "No… I heard about it coming back from another situation… Dolohov was spotted by Watchers early this morning."

It took less than a second for Dolohov's smarmy face to come to mind. Pansy gulped. "I thought, I mean, I heard he was apprehended at the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"Flitwick hit him with a stunner but he disappeared after all the commotion, he's been missing ever since." Neville informed her in the same low voice.

"Do you remember his 'Presentations'?" She whispered, recalling when Dolohov would show up randomly during her last year at Hogwart's to join in her Dark Art's classes and give demonstrations. They always ended with blood.

Neville didn't respond, but he buried his face into her neck and hair and nodded. "Are you okay?" He asked, squeezing her tightly. She realized just how worried he had been.

"Yes. A little – I'm fine. Shocked. But I'll be okay. I – you should talk to Theo. Last week, he had Voldemort Sympathizers at his house. They left as I got there… but I don't know… something feels bad, like – like it did last time… like he's coming back…"

Neville jerked back and looked down at her, his blue eyes so dark they appeared black, like water over a lagoon and his jaw clenched tight. He seemed so angry it caught her off guard. "You will be safe… I will keep you safe."

And she understood finally. He was thinking about the pain she went through at the hands of Voldemort and he was promising to not let that happen. She wrapped his words around her and nodded but then heard a loud snort from the door.

Hannah stood arms crossed and looking vile with a nasty leer on her face. "Don't listen to him, he never keeps his vows."


	21. One to Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit sex scenes ahead! Naughty words, naughty naughty!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 21

August 10th, 2006

The storm outside howled even louder, rain pounded against the roof and windows mercilessly and allowed very little light to come into the room. As Heather lay dead in the next room, Neville's ex stood before them looking pissed off and ready for another fight.

Hannah Abbott was a little taller than Pansy, with straight golden blonde hair that rested on her shoulders. She wore garish red lipstick that clashed horribly with her pale skin. Her dark brown eyes were rimmed in black and they narrowed harshly towards Pansy and Neville as they embraced.

Pansy had no idea how to deal with her. She always seemed angry and she was always aggressive. She was nothing like how Pansy remembered from school. And… she seemed to be with Troy… why even bother with Neville? They could hardly stand to be in the same room with each other. Anytime they were, they traded blows so quickly, Pansy couldn't keep up.

And on top of that, Pansy hadn't been seeing Neville for long, was there some part of him he had kept hidden? Something that made Hannah into this bitter witch? She glanced between the two as they glared daggers at each other.

"Isn't that right, dear?" Hannah spat towards Neville as Troy walked up behind her. Apparently the Patrols were gone.

Pansy glanced up to Neville, his face hardening before her eyes, and wandered what the hell happened between them. It wasn't like a Hufflepuff to be so vicious…

"No," Neville started. "That's not right. I kept all my vows to you until we decided to walk away."

"You! You decided to walk away, not me." She shot back, voice rising.

Neville turned away, fists clenched and jaw tight.

"Go on, run away again. Run to your little Death Eater whore."

Pansy thought she should feel mad about that slur, but she just felt pity for this witch with her whiny voice.

Neville wasn't having any of it though. He turned quickly and started to stalk forward but Pansy stopped him by wrapping her arms around his middle, laying her head against his back. "Don't. Don't let her get to you. That's what she wants."

His face contorted with rage. "Leave her out of this, Hannah. She's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong, besides sleeping with a married man and getting her employer killed!" They were yelling now.

"Pansy had nothing to do with this! Why can't you understand that? We don't know why they came after Heather and we are separated, Hannah. As soon as you sign those damn divorce papers we wouldn't be married anymore, would we?"

"You really think you can leave me? Leave me for HER of all people? Disgusting."

"Even if I wasn't with her, I would still be leaving you. Our relationship is over." Neville practically growled at her.

"Hannah please…" Troy put a hand on Hannah's shoulder. "Let's just take Heather… please…"

"Heather is the reason I am doing this," Hannah said pushing Troy's hand away. "That witch is the reason Heather is dead I know it, it's her fault your sister was murdered by Death Eater's."

"No," Troy hissed back at her finally getting angry. The weight of the day showed on his face and this argument certainly wasn't helping.

"Yes!" She screeched back. "Heather's dead Troy! Murdered! Why are you fighting me?"

"Because you aren't doing this for Heather!" He yelled in her face. "You're using her death as an excuse to agitate him." He gestured angrily towards Neville. "You're doing this to mess with him. Why? You don't even want to be with him! I'm so sick of this…"

"How dare you tell me I'm not doing this for Heather! She was my best friend!"

"I know she was! And I am not saying that you aren't affected, okay?" He put his hands on either side of her shoulders. "But she was MY baby sister and I just want to get her taken care of."

Pansy saw the exact moment Hannah decided to switch gears. "Your baby sister? You barely had time to see her lately, do you think she didn't notice? I did. You're just like him you know, you just don't understand and you definitely don't deserve me!" Hannah responded, but it sounded weak.

Troy dropped his hands and started walking away. "You're right," he said when he reached the door. "I don't understand you at all. And I'm done arguing with you. I'm going to go take care of Heather." And he left, slamming the door behind him.

Hannah stomped her foot making a noise of disgust. "I bet you're happy about all this then!" She shouted at Neville who Pansy still had her arms wrapped around.

"I'm not happy about any of this, Hannah. Just go, Pansy will close up the shop now the D.M.L.E is finished out front." He turned away from her, giving her his back. Pansy watched as Hannah stomped her foot again and left the room, slamming the door behind her as well.

Several seconds passed before Neville sat down on her work bench and buried his face in his hands. "Gods I am so, so sorry about her Pansy."

"Don't." She sat next to him, offering what comfort she could. "Don't apologize for her behavior."

"How can I not?" He looked up at her, looking frustrated and worn out and it wasn't even lunch time yet.

"I don't know everything that happened between you two… but I – I told you that I trust you." She searched his face, rubbing one hand up and down his back.

He exhaled loudly and seemed to relax more, shaking off the frustration. Besides, she had seen for herself how terrible Hannah was treating him… and she certainly didn't treat Pansy very well. Neville on the other hand she had spent all week with and not once had he given her pause. He was charming and made her laugh. He was amazing in bed and treated her like a goddess. Was this just the honeymoon phase?

"I just can't stand the way she talks now… I don't even know her anymore. And I am sorry about that. I just wish, I don't know. Not for things to different… I just hoped she could move on. I mean, I'm so glad for you… but…"

She stopped his rambling by putting her other hand in his. "I understand."

His fingers grabbed at hers, and he stroked the inside of her palm like she was sacred, his knee brushed against hers. She felt a smile tug at her lips and she thought about how he had spent the last week adoring her and making love to her. The thought had barely passed through her mind when he brushed his thumb against her palm, his magic sparked a pale green color between them and sent shivers throughout her frame.

"Wow…" she said breathless, blinking several times. She had never seen anything quite like that happen.

"That's never happened before… I'm sorry…" He attempted to pull his hand away from hers, but she held on.

"Don't apologize, Neville." She shook her head and tried to clear her mind. "It felt like… felt like a kiss. Definitely don't apologize for that."

"Really?" He looked down at their hands, interlaced together and he gently ran his thumb over her palm again.

They could see when the magic sparked again, pale green, and this time a deep blue. And she could feel the intent behind it this time, fueling the magic as it filled up her entire body before settling warmly in her stomach. She barely caught her breath again before he leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on her lips, pressing his thumb into her palm and …

Dear Merlin, she almost passed out as bright stars filled her vision, goose bumps popped up all along her shoulders and neck. Pure erotic pleasure overloaded her as his thumb brushed her palm, pushing his magic through in gentle waves that felt like Neville and smelled like earth and rain and dirt and roses. She moaned loudly and felt a rush of heat between her legs.

He did it again.

"Neville!" She cried out, jerking her hand away from the too intense pleasure that raked her body.

"I'm – "

"Don't you dare apologize! It just caught me off guard…It felt amazing…" She explained, hand to her chest as she took deep breaths. Small bursts of the magic continued to course through her, leaving pings of arousal and need across her body.

He reached out gently brushing her bangs from her face, the look in his own eyes turned molten and greedy. "I wasn't going to apologize. I will never apologize for making you say my name."

Heat flared to life across her face and chest. "Oh Neville, the things you say to me."

It was mellow compared to the intimate whispers he would lay on her during sex. The first few times he did it made her feel embarrassed. Now she craved it, just like she craved the rest of him.

"Let's continue this later," she began.

"Yeah, I need to get back to the Ministry." A dark look flickered behind his eyes. "You'll be careful, right? Getting home I mean."

She held his eyes. He worried for her, he cared about her. He adored her.

She thought she might love him.

"Of course."

And she was. She went right home and stored her potion supplies in the basement.

The next dawn came like it always did, the sun creeping through the east facing windows and inching its way across her bed. Pansy watched with a tired feeling fascination. She had barely slept a wink, every time she attempted to rest images of Heather's broken body assaulted her until she wound up making a large pot of coffee and watching the shadows of the trees in her back yard sway in the gentle summer night breeze from her kitchen table.

And yet, a heavy feeling pressed down on her and she wasn't entirely sure it stemmed from the darkness in her life. Heather's death was terrible, Denise was slowly going insane, Voldemort was quite possibly making a comeback, and yet this darkness felt different. It flickered ominously on the horizon and Pansy felt like at any time she could reach out and touch it.

When the sky began to lighten she rose, rinsed out her coffee mug, and began the climb to her bedroom.

The front door behind her snicked open, causing her to pause and turn. Though she had no lights on, the enormous shadow of a body could only be one person.

"Neville?" she called gently down the few stairs.

"Pansy, you're awake?" he said just as gently, closing the door behind himself. He climbed the few steps to meet her. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I couldn't sleep." she admitted, immediately leaning into his hug. His warmth did nothing but remind her of just how cold she was. She felt herself making sleepy noises. "You smell like sweat and magic, Neville Longbottom. Rough night?"

"You have the nose of a blood hound, Pansy Parkinson. Did you know that?"

"I do know that, I need it for potion making. Don't avoid my questions."

"Just some minor fighting breaking out at the Ministry. The situation is handled."

She sighed with relief. "I was worried about Dolohov."

"Don't be." They hugged for another minute. "Pansy, can I sleep here with you?"

The way he asked it, like she would say no, made her think he was still recovering from the blows he and Hannah had traded.

She ran both her hands up along his chest, over his work robes, further up along his neck and stopped them on either side of his jaw line. "You don't have to ask."

He picked her up suddenly, cradling her to his chest. "Neville!" she shouted.

"What?"

"You Neanderthal!"

He carried her to the bed anyways, setting her down. He stood between her legs, towering over her. Though his eyes looked tired, they lit up at the sight of her in a simple white sleep top and sleep shorts.

"How tired are you exactly?" he asked in that gravelly tone of his, his thumb reaching out to brush over her lips.

To answer his question, she parted his work robes and sent them to the floor. He smiled and rid himself of the rest of his clothing. She hurriedly removed her own top and shorts reaching out with her hands to pull him down on top of her. He went easily.

Just the friction of his body covering her own pushed a moan from her throat, tiny blue and purple and green sparks of magic lighting the dark room in a beautiful display of magic they both admired, before their eyes met after the light faded. His mouth covered hers and he was kissing her a moment later.

It was wet and warm and deep, his tongue expertly licking between her lips as he positioned his body exactly where she wanted it. His one hand came up, tangling in her hair, the arm bracing behind her back. The other hand he used to push her bent leg further away, before running down the smooth skin of her thigh. She whimpered into his kiss at the rough touch.

He broke away from the kiss, keeping his face close to hers. "I love that you don't wear panties."

The words wrapped around her, causing heat to rise in her stomach. She felt his penis brushing against her core and it sent her into overdrive.

"Now Neville. Please."

He mmmed at her words, his fingers continuing to brush her thigh, his other hand still buried in her hair, keeping her still she realized. "I think I want to tease you for awhile longer, Pansy."

"No, I'm ready." she whispered. She brought the leg he wasn't caressing up around his waist, attempting to pull his body closer.

He mmmed again. "I want to kiss you all over, I want to put my mouth on you." And that's when she knew he was in a talkative mood, he wanted to tease her with more than his body.

His words sent an inferno of heat between her legs. He backed up those words with more kisses. On her lips, on her face, on her neck, across her shoulders and collarbone.

"I want to taste you between your legs and make you scream my name."

The things he said to her in bed, Dear Merlin. "Then when you're soaking wet I will slide into you, Pansy."

She moaned even louder at the imagery, his dirty mouth teasing her to a fever pitch before he had even done anything more. "Neville, now please."

"No. I wouldn't want you to get tired of me yet." His words sounded all sensual to her, all sexual. But she heard the hidden hurt in it.

She shook her head immediately. "Neville, I will never get tired of this. I don't think I will ever get tired of you." As she said the words, she reached between their bodies, gripping the thick length of his penis with her hands.

He sucked in a breath between his teeth. "Pansy," he warned. He leaned in and gently bit the skin of her neck. 

"Now are you going to continue to tease?" she squeezed his cock quickly, but firmly. "Or are you going to fuck me the way I want you to?"

He responded by wrapping his arm around her bent leg, pushing it further up making his full body push against hers. Her hand released his length and jumped to his shoulder at the pressure he put on her. The tip of his cock pushed roughly against her opening, making her tremble. He kept his head buried in her neck, kissing and biting the skin there as his hands did other work...

He kept doing that, brushing his erections against her slick folds roughly but never fully possessing her, teasing her with the blunt tip of his penis. "Who taught you to talk like that Pansy?"

Her fingers dug into the skin of his shoulders. "Oh just some guy I know." She had no idea what made her say that, but Gods did it drive them both crazy.

He thrust harder against her, the tip sliding inside her barely an inch before he pulled it back out just as quick. The action tore another groan from her. He released his other hand from her hair, continuing to jerk his hips against hers and brought his hand down to the other leg. Now, he had both of her legs spread wide and pushed back, her body spread gloriously beneath him.

"Just some guy you know?" he asked as sweat broke out along his neck. The tip forced through her folds again, then back out so quickly. Too quickly. "Tell me the name of this guy you know. Does he fuck you like I do?"

She panted beneath him, panted at the words. "No… only you fuck me the way I want to be, Neville."

It was exactly what he needed to hear. He thrust his hips forward, driving his penis deep inside of her, and made them both scream out. He had never taken her so roughly, his hands pushing her legs apart as he drove into her over and over again. He didn't worry that he was hurting her, because she was so slick between her legs and she moaned and called his name with every thrust, her hands gripping the headboard behind her so she didn't get fucked right off the bed.

It was awhile later, when the sun had fully risen, when they both collapsed into each other, completely satisfied, that they finally fell asleep together.


	22. He Found His Footing

A Riven Heart

Chapter 22

August 11th, 2006

"Are you sure you want to go?" Neville asked her, sitting on the edge of her bed watching Pansy as she slowly got ready for the coming event, thinking of exactly nothing else except how perfectly tumbled she had looked earlier that morning.

She raised a full eyebrow at him before digging through another drawer, looking for a pair of tights that would go with the dress she wanted to wear. She was set on going to Ginny Weasley's birthday party and she knew exactly what dress she wanted, she needed to wear.

"You love them." She responded lightly, lifting a single leg and pulling the tights over her feet. "And who wouldn't want to go to the birthday party of Britain's favorite female chaser?"

His eyes gazed at the back of her calf before he shook himself and looked back up to her. "Ginny isn't like that by the way and… do you follow Quidditch?"

She finished pulling the tights up and turned to face him, wearing only a sleek pair of black panties, a matching bra and her tights.

"A bit, Harpies are my team."

"You'll get along just fine with Harry and Ron then." He looked beyond pleased at the information.

"Are you worried about me getting along with your friends?" She teased, walking over to her closet.

"No, I'm worried about my friends more than you. They are obnoxious and rude and loud and, Malfoy aside, they tend to hate Slytherin's."

She turned and glared at the mention of his partner. "If they can accept that prat into the fold…" She continued getting ready letting the rest of the sentence fall off.

"Yeah, just spend the evening giving Malfoy a hard time. You'll fit right in."

"I'm more of a wall flower type…" She admitted, fitting on strings of silver into her ears.

He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. "Wall flower type?" He asked as she walked by him towards her closet. He reached out and pinched her hip, earning him a scold from Pansy.

"Yes," she informed him. "Stick me in a corner with a drink please. And if you touch me again we may not go to this party at all."

He smirked as he cupped the curve of her hip with his palm and said, "If you don't put on actual clothes very soon we definitely won't be going."

She hesitated at the entrance to the closet giving him a longing look. "Oh? Not going you say?"

"Oh no you don't. We have to go."

She pursed her lips at him and finally turned into the closet, disappearing from Neville's view.

"And I have seen you and Theo together before and neither of you acted like a wall flower."

"That's – that's different." She called out from the other room. He stood and rested his shoulder against the frame of the closet door, crossing his arms. She had her back to him, not realizing he was closer. She pulled a pretty soft green sun dress from a hanger and slid it over her head.

"Green and silver?" He asked voice husky with want.

She startled a bit, turned and pointed at him. "Don't sneak up on me. And I happen to know a Gryffindor who likes the color green on me very much." She turned to her vanity and, using a small stylized serpent, pinned her bangs back away from her face.

"There," she said. "I'm ready." She turned to face him full on. Her black hair tumbled down her back in soft waves, her bright purple eyes shined behind thick, dark lashes, and her soft green dress sat prettily off her shoulders exposing the cream colored skin across her chest. His eyes rested heavily on the curved vee of her cleavage. He took a shuddering breath and ran his hand along his jaw, covering his mouth. It felt good to be wanted, Pansy thought.

"Sweet Circe, we have to go now…" He mumbled.

"We could stay… I'd enjoy being undressed by more than just your eyes you know." she said softly, the words floating between them. A week. It had been a week of sex and yet, she wanted so much more of him.

He felt a tightness in his pants and groaned.

"No, gods, we have to go Pansy."

He took her to a place called The Burrow, which was lit up with party favors and lights. They walked hand and hand together down the stone path that led to the back door, the yard fenced off with fairy lights, and soft music drifted across the grass towards them.

Ginny and a plump woman that was her mother greeted them at the door. Mrs. Weasley grasped Neville in a hug that would've split Pansy in half. When Mrs. Weasley turned towards her, she was surprised to find herself swallowed up in a hug too, a hard grasp she wasn't expecting, and heard mutterings about how soon would they be getting married, did they know a good location, that the Burrow is always available, and how soon should she expect little Longbottoms?

Ginny groaned loudly, pushing the matriarch out of the way and apologized. "Mum! Go bother Charlie about grandchildren, will ya? He's next in line. Neville's not even one of your kids."

Mrs. Weasley looked over Pansy's shoulder and caught sight of her second oldest. "Oh, who is going to marry him with hair that long? I know he thinks it's fashionable but honestly…" and she went off doting on Charlie's hair and pursing her lips at his new tattoo.

Ginny laughed and hugged Neville. "Sorry about her, she has baby fever bad since Fleur and Angelina started popping them out."

Neville stepped back and Ginny finally turned towards Pansy. "Gin, you remember Pansy…" he said delicately.

The red headed witch was fit, sun kissed from Quidditch, and stood confident. She took one look at Pansy dressed in green and silver, the jeweled serpent in her hair, and burst out laughing.

"I could hug you, by the way." She said. "All my brothers bet against me saying you were too chicken shit to show up. You've made me a fair bit of gold tonight, Parkinson."

Remembering what Harry had told her, Pansy said, "Consider it a birthday present then, me showing up."

That caused Ginny to burst out laughing again. She turned into the room and beckoned the pair to follow her. She yelled, "OI YOU LOT! Neville's here… with his date!" She prolonged the vowels of the word date in a teasing way. It caused a load of groans to be heard in the next room, followed by a thundering, and then about a hundred Weasley's were surrounding her and Neville. "Cough it up you sore losers, dig real deep!" She held out a soft velvet bag and started collecting galleons, going from red head to red head.

The group called out "Thanks a lot Parkinson" in a good-natured way as Ginny went to each of them, collecting several galleons.

"Hey! You owe me more than that George, I told you to dig deep."

"Jeez, we never learn do we?"

"Baby sister always gets her way."

"Especially on my birthday, big brother."

"Can't believe she showed up, my poor wallet…"

"Your loss, my gain. My glorious gain… Thank you. Thank you. Oi you too Percy."

"Thought for sure you'd been too scared to make an appearance, Parkinson." The tall red headed man named Percy said to her, dropping in his gold and giving her a smile.

She raised her eyebrow at the group, all much taller than her, behind them came Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and… Draco Malfoy.

She ignored the flash of surprise on Draco's face and turned back to Percy. "Snakes are always a surprise. Get used to it."

They all roared with laughter, as Neville slipped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. The stocky one named George walked by her and said, "Hiss hiss little snake." And they somehow all gravitated towards a living room that was crowded with sofas and chairs and pillows.

Pansy dodged speaking with Draco by sitting on Neville's knee while he started a conversation with Ron and Percy. Laughter bubbled up through the room as everyone settled in. The insanely pretty girl Pansy recalled from her fourth year at Hogwart's was sitting with the Weasley named Bill, they had a chubby cheeked new born cradled in their arms that didn't care about all the noise the room was making. Across from them George was sitting with a tall dark skinned girl who swelled with a pregnant belly. Pansy tried to remember her name, just barely recalling she used to play on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She heard the witch say, "We're thinking Roxanne for a girl, or Lee if it's another boy."

George grinned and said, "Maybe it'll be twins and we can have both."

It earned him a slap on the arm and a, "Don't you wish that on me George Weasley."

Next to them Draco sat with Hermione, hands interlaced, as they chatted with Harry and Ginny. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Draco placed quick, random kisses on Hermione's neck and face surprising her every time. The curvy brunette sat on Draco's lap and gently ran her fingers through his hair as they talked.

They looked good together, Pansy thought. She watched as Harry reached behind him and brought out what looked to be a child's gaudy looking fake tiara and placed it on Ginny's head, much to her displeasure.

"I told you not to Harry." She growled as Hermione cast a sticking charm on the ugly thing.

"Don't worry… we'll let you take it off… later."

Draco and Hermione laughed together, looking completely at home with each other. And Pansy couldn't help but remember a bitter, anxious boy wizard from school. A boy who couldn't find any kind of footing before his father would knock him down. Now she looked at the woman in his lap, Hermione Granger of all people, and a knowing settled over her. It was just a feeling, but Pansy knew Hermione had saved her old friend.

She was still pissed at Draco though.

"Date went horrible, thanks for asking." Percy was saying when Pansy returned her attention to the men in front of her. "Why would you set me up with him, Ron? He was disgusting."

Neville and Ron laughed and Pansy looked over the man again. Manicured hands, sleek wizard's robes, and nice hair cut.

"If I had known Perce, I would have stopped it. McGee is a moron." Neville apologized for Ron.

Pansy leaned forward, sipping her whiskey. "I heard he wears tightie whities, and collects dollies."

The three men looked at her.

"You're joking!"

"No way!"

"How would you know that?" Neville asked her, pinching her hip.

"My good friend, Theo." She replied looking directly at Percy. "He doesn't usually kiss and tell, but well I guess some things you just can't keep a secret."


	23. Whiskey Cure-All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whiskey whiskey and more whiskey!!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 23

August 12th, 2006 (Very early in the morning)

It went on like that for hours, followed up with a large dinner cooked by Mrs. Weasley where Pansy ate entirely too much. Of the Weasley's, Ron, Charlie, George, and Ginny dared her to keep up with them as they drank their way through several bottles of whiskey regardless of Neville's warnings.

Finally, as people dragged themselves home or up to bed, only Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, and Pansy remained, sitting outside in the yard looking up at the stars.

Ron's head rested against the wooden table, mostly passed out. Draco kept looking over at Pansy, opening his mouth like he was about to say something only to sip from his glass and look away again.

Hermione kept nudging him patiently, but Pansy managed to steer the conversation away from him until he finally laid his own head on the table and passed out next to Ron. After that, Ginny drained what was left in her glass, keeping eye contact with Pansy.

Pansy lifted her own glass in a small toast to the witch and drained it, making Ginny groan.

"Damn girl. You're so tiny and yet you can just drink and drink. I like it."

Harry leaned forward, "Have you met you match dear? I never thought I'd live to see the day."

She elbowed him playfully. "I'm not down yet, Potter."

Pansy let out a small giggle. "Sorry to say, I think I made Charlie cry a bit when he gave up and crawled up to his room. With Theo as my only friend, I had plenty of practice."

"S'not your only friend anymore…" Ron's mumbled voice came through from the table, his hand twitching a bit followed by a loud snore.

Smiling, Hermione reached forward pushing hair out of his eyes. "Ignore him, Pansy. He's always been a bit of a sap deep down."

"Weren't you two a thing once upon a time? I thought I remembered that coming down the gossip grape vine at Hogwart's." Pansy asked, looking between the passed out Ron and her newly minted friend Hermione.

"Aww, Ron is more like my brother than anything. My heart belongs to another." she winked at Pansy and then ran her fingers through Draco's hair.

The movement made Draco turn his head over to the other side, pressing his cheek into the table. The cheek he bared had lines mirroring the grooves from the wooden table they all sat around. "Ron is a big sap but not as much as…" he trailed off.

"Not as much as Neville though." Harry finished for him.

Her wizard beside her groaned loudly. "Please guys, no embarrassing stories yet… or ever…"

"Oh no please, fill me in!" Pansy giggled as she leaned forward a bit. "Theo has been filling his head with all my sad and pathetic past experiences."

"Oh – oh he took me to the Yule Ball." Ginny began as Neville moaned even louder, burying his head in his arms. "He picked me up at the Portrait, the entrance to the dorms, and gave me a corsage. He danced with me all night, led me back to the dorms and said…"

"No please, Ginny I'm begging you." Neville pleaded, pulling the neck of his robes up around his head, Pansy could see the tips of his ears turning redder and redder.

"No wait I want to hear this too!" Hermione said excitedly.

"He said," Ginny continued. "And I'll never forget it: 'Ginny, your hair is as red as a rose, your smile as bright as the sun, I hope tonight was good for you, because I had a lot of fun.'"

Pansy, Harry, and Hermione burst into fits of giggles with Ginny. Neville sank further into his robes, the tips of his ears flushed with red.

"Neville you poet!" Pansy laughed.

"Oh gods Ginny you promised me you wouldn't ever repeat that to anyone. Traitor." The miserable voice came from the lump of black robes that hid Neville.

Harry, clearly drunk, clapped his hands together hard and said, "Remember when he took Susan Bones to Hogsmead sixth year?"

"Noooooo!" Neville jumped up and grabbed Harry's robes, but as both men were properly intoxicated, they ended up rolling around on the ground Harry laughing wildly.

Hermione took the seat next to Pansy, stepping over the men. "He asked her, but Susan thought they were just going as friends. He kept trying to get her to join him at Madam Puddifoots but she just wanted to meet up with Terry Boot from Ravenclaw.

"He ended up walking into the Three Broomsticks, by himself, where Harry, Ron, and I were having some butterbeers, and sat down proclaiming he would never love again until all Ravenclaws had been destroyed. Well the entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team was having a drink at the next table over, heard Neville threatening Ravenclaw house and decided to turn his hair blue. It stayed like that for weeks."

Through the laughs, Pansy looked down at Neville rolling on the ground still trying to keep Harry from telling the story Hermione just filled her in on.

"Please Harry I won't ever live it down!" He begged.

"Neville? Can you come here a moment?" Pansy asked, winking at Ginny.

He jumped up, with as little grace as a new born kitten, and stumbled over to her. He sat down on the ground next to her knee and she automatically began running her fingers through his hair.

"Neville, do you want to know one of the spells I am really proficient in?" She asked him, massaging his scalp and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Mmm tell me." He replied, words slurring slightly but sounding happy at her attention.

"The hair color charm." She grinned again as Hermione, Harry, and Ginny burst into a fresh set of giggles.

August 14th, 2006

The day after Ginny's birthday, she had chugged a Hangover Cure potion and gone to see Madam Primpernelle to offer her condolences. She had stumbled home, feeling bruised and gloomy and empty, all the happiness from the night before leaking out of her. Holly Primpernelle was getting on in age and had no children of her own, just her niece Heather and nephew Troy. The death of Heather had obviously hit the old witch hard. She had grasped at Pansy and cried on her shoulder until her robes were soaked through.

Thankfully, she arrived home where Theo was waiting for her with a new bottle of Firewhiskey. She had changed into a dry set of clothes and walked back down stairs only to see Theo pouring a third glass for Draco Malfoy. She had managed to avoid him entirely at Ginny's party, not even sparing him a word. Now he was sitting in her own house like he belonged and, on top of all the depressing thoughts she had in her head about Heather, felt a true anger spike into a full on temper tantrum.

She yelled at him, he yelled back. Theo sat in the middle and drank.

But she reckoned she had grown up since their last fight and she wouldn't throw anything at his head this time. Instead she smacked his arm a lot and huffed, though after one extremely cheeky comment suggesting Neville wasn't bedding her enough, she obviously had too much energy to waste yelling at defenseless Malfoy's, she reconsidered her no throwing policy and hit him twice with a throw pillow from the couch.

Theo had applauded and she turned on him right after that. She supposed he was the one who let Malfoy in, because her house would know better than that. Malfoy had been in the middle of yelling about the dangers of hormonal witches throwing expensive crystal around when Neville had showed up with none other than Hermione Granger.

There had never been that many people in her little cottage before. Hermione had hugged her, smile on her face and greeted her like an old friend cooing about how much fun they all had Friday night.

Malfoy had pointed to witch and said, "Seriously, Longbottom, I'm already dealing with one crazy witch. Why did you bring another?"

Pansy and Hermione had simultaneously slapped both of Draco's arms for his cheek while Theo and Neville laughed up a storm.

Finally, throwing back a shot of the expensive whiskey, Pansy pushed Draco down into one of the armchairs in her living room and said, "I'm glad you're here okay? I'm happy that you're doing well and apparently dating the love of your life and that your mother is fine. But you promised me you would take care of Denise. And then you left and I didn't hear from you again for years."

"I know and I'm sorry. And just so you know… I feel responsible."

"You feel responsible for what exactly?" She eyed him as he looked away with guilt.

"If only I had stuck around… then circumstances might've been different… you wouldn't be dating Longbottom and I am just so so terribly sorry that you have to see him all the time!"

"Dear Circe I feel so bad for you Granger, how can you stand him? Don't you just want to punch his ugly face in all the time? Oh that's just me?" She responded, throwing yet another small pillow from the collection on the couch at the blonde wizard and finally taking a seat in between Neville and Theo on the couch.

"Please call me Hermione. And I put up with him, ugly face and all, ever since he showed me his mighty, enormous… library…"

The brunette winked at Draco who grinned back at her while the rest of the room groaned at the innuendo.

"Oh, Draco has corrupted you darling. Fantastic." Theo said, pouring them all drinks.

And the rest of the night had gone like that: laughing, drinks, and many, many lewd suggestions. It filled the hole Heather's death had put in her. Especially since Draco, Neville, and Hermione couldn't hold liquor to save their lives. It all added up to Pansy forgetting about the horror that happened in the potion shop and Neville forgetting about Hannah and the rising Death Eater incidences.

Now, she opened her eyes as grayish blue light from the coming Monday morning stretched across her ceiling, Neville curled up behind her with one arm around her protectively. He slept on his other arm, head buried underneath the pillow. She gently turned over to look at him, having never woken up before him before. His arm slid down, wrapping around her hip and he mumbled something about 5 more minutes.

5 more minutes? You can have me for the rest of forever, Neville Longbottom.

She held back a laugh and nuzzled her face into his chest feeling warm and comfortable beneath the sheets next to him. She felt content in a way she never had before. In the back of her mind, she knew how fast it all was… Neville and her and this crazy impossible relationship they were somehow making work. Their blind date had only been a few weeks ago, and now he was sleeping over regularly and giving her mind blowing orgasms on a daily basis. She didn't care. He fit in her life, somehow… they fit perfectly together.

She brushed his ruffled hair from his face and looked at the scars she had caused, the deep grooves radiating out from his eye. Maybe because they had so much history between them, it was easier to hop right into the thick of things. She had a sneaking suspicion that Neville never did things half cocked, he jumped right into it.

She lifted a finger and traced one of his darker scars, the deepest one. The Cruiciatus Curse rarely left a physical mark on the victim, usually after repeated use it would cause the mind to shut down and the person to retreat into insanity. Not Neville though and she wondered why. She wondered why his friends accepted her so readily. Why, after so many years in school of bitter fighting and bullying, did they suddenly get along?

His eyes blinked open in a slow, sleepy manner and focused on her. "Morning you." He said in a husky voice he usually reserved for her alone. "What are you doin'?"

"Sorry," she dropped her hand back to his chest.

"You can touch them… any time you want." He shifted and wrapped both his arms around her small frame, pulling her body into his, and hummed sleepily.

"Okay," she whispered, reaching back up and stroking the scars with her index finger.


	24. The Hard Edge I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit angst and sex, my specialty! Also I would say, minor sexual violence. This is your warning, they get rough!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 24

August 19th, 2006

She dressed in subdued black robes and stood at the edge of the circle, apart from everyone else. They looked at the smooth white headstone that told them how loved Heather was as some type of official spoke words of peace and passing that Pansy ignored. She and Heather had never been friends, but they worked together well for so long that after a week of not working and not seeing the pretty brown eyed witch, Pansy knew she would miss Heather, even if she had terrible friends like Hannah Abbott.

Hannah Abbott, who was standing beside Troy openly weeping in grief over the loss of her friend and had, fortunately, ignored Pansy.

Madam Primpernelle took the stand after the official finished his practiced speech and said a few words about Heather as well, then opened up the floor for anyone else who wanted to talk. Pansy stood by, wishing Neville had been there, but understanding why he chose not to come. There was, however, several Aurors and Patrols spread out, guarding the procession. The first victim in 8 years to be killed with the Dark Mark hanging overhead had nearly caused a riot at the Ministry. It had driven Neville to further his teaching her how to summon a Patronus so she could communicate with him in case something happened.

And if Voldemort gained control of the Dementors again.

In the middle of the week, Harry Potter had caught a young wizard trying to poison The Minister and after some questioning, they realized he had been Imperiused. Incident after incident and everyone was now on edge. But it felt different than it did last time, during the Second war. Harry Potter was alive and in power. He had control over the D.M.L.E. and there was no doubt this time as to whose side Potter was on, Kingsley had his full support and that helped keep the Ministry in order. If Voldemort was making a resurgence, it wouldn't be an easy fight this time.

Unfortunately, Pansy had barely seen Neville this last week and she noticed the lack, especially since she didn't have work to attend to. She tried to pass the time by preparing for her next submission to the Potion Master's program and having tea with her mother.

Denise was driving her just as crazy. The woman refused to go to St. Mungo's, crying out about how it wasn't her time yet and how Pansy didn't see things like she did. The only reason Pansy conceded to letting her mother continue to live in the manor was because of the house elves.

When Madam Primpernelle embraced her, Pansy hugged back and tried not to look at Hannah.

"Ms. Parkinson, Heather always said what a fantastic potion maker you are."

"Thank you," she said politely. "I always enjoyed working alongside her, Madam."

"Oh you're such a doll… I wanted to let you know personally that without Heather I just… I can't keep the store open. I am just getting too old and Troy doesn't want to manage the store and the warehouse." Something about the way she mentioned Troy sounded angry to Pansy, but she brushed it off as grief.

"Madam, I regret that I won't be able to work for you any longer. If you need any help cleaning out the store, please just let me know. I will have all my supplies and equipment cleared away first thing Monday morning." Pansy had honestly seen something like this coming. Holly was just too old to even manage her other shops, and Everyday Potion's was her second largest location.

"Thank you dear, and please just owl if you ever need a reference."

"I will. I'm sorry for you loss, Madam." Pansy squeezed the witch's hands gently in her own before turning away and walking to the edge of the graveyard. She wanted to get away before Troy or Hannah said anything to her. Troy looked even more devastated today than he did last week, dark circles under his tired eyes and his skin still held the sallow, sickly look it did the day it rained. He kept nervously rubbing at his arms. He obviously wasn't taking the death of his sister well, but Pansy thought, who would?

She reached the edge of the Apparation Point and thought of home.

She wanted Neville and a hot bath, in whatever order they could present themselves was fine by her.

She walked into her kitchen from the back yard, having Apparated to her back porch and kicked her shoes off immediately. She walked into her living room and saw Theo lounging on her couch. She felt disappointed it was Theo and not Neville, and then felt guilty because Theo had been her best friend for years ever since she was a girl and Neville had only been her… hers for a few weeks. She collapsed on top of him, lying down right on top of his body.

"Cuddle me please." She said into his chest.

"Merlin you've become a needy little thing since you started dating Longbottom. Rough day dear? Funerals and all?" He indulged her by wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"You know it." She breathed in the decadent scent of his expensive cologne and sighed, feeling a smidgen better. "What have you been up too?"

"Well I'm glad you asked. Picture this if you will: I was sitting in my parlor late Thursday evening, working on my correspondence when I get a lovely owl post from one Percy Ignatius Weasley of all people." He said.

She grinned into his chest. "Sorry, but I'm not sorry."

"Well good. Because we had drinks Friday night and met again for breakfast this morning and I think he is truly the most handsome red head on the planet." He sighed dreamily, batting his eyelashes at her.

She laughed and snuggled into his body more. "Good." Was all she said.

"What made you suggest the liaison?" he asked her.

"He seemed your type, honestly. Manicured hands and dreamy eyes. Plus he looks very smart in a suit."

"Ohh… a suit…" Theo licked his lips suggestively. "If only…"

They shared another laugh and Pansy heard her front door open. Neville's head came into view over the couch and she smiled up at him, so happy to see him finally.

"Why are you cuddling my woman, Theo?" he asked, his voice hard and devoid of any of his usual playfulness.

"She literally threw herself on me! I can't help how attractive I am." Theo answered automatically, possibly not realizing how on edge Neville really was.

Pansy recognized it though, his whole demeanor was screaming at her. She jumped up, walking around the couch and fell into Neville's arms.

"Neville?" His body was tense as he wrapped both his arms around her, picking her up which caused her to squeak, and squeezing her tightly. She hung there awkwardly for a moment before his hands roamed down, gripping her ass and forcing her to wrap her legs around his middle. "Neville, what's happened?"

He breathed through his teeth, his eyes searching hers before he growled out, "Theo, go home."

Theo just raised his eyebrows as Neville walked up the stairs, cradling Pansy in his arms.

She cupped his face in her hands, trusting he wouldn't drop her, and ran the pads of her thumbs along his cheek bones. They hadn't slept together for several nights now and she knew he was feeling just as she was.

"Neville, tell me what's happened." She pleaded in a soft voice she hoped would soothe him.

"Three unknown Death Eater's… they killed 10 muggles and dumped the bodies by the city entrance to the Ministry…" He squeezed her again, his large hands cupping her ass.

She sucked in a shocked breath. "10? So many? What's happening?"

"Harry is pissed off and I – I don't know what is happening. It was horrible." He buried his head in her neck, like he so often did and breathed in her roses and rain smell and he wondered when she started smelling like rain. "How was the funeral?"

She clutched onto him as he held her. "Sad… Neville I was thinking… why did they target Heather? The register was full, nothing was taken, I remember… I remember that before it was about senseless death, causing havoc but this was so personal… they really hurt her. They didn't just kill her like they would've…" Her voice dropped off.

He leaned his head back and looked at her. "My mind knows that it's you but I still forget you were part of their world."

She shook her head, "Not by choice."

"You could've gotten out –"

"How? I don't remember you offering sanctuary from the Carrows to any Slytherin's?" She interrupted him.

"I…" She caught him off guard, she could tell. She hadn't meant to be so crass but it was done.

He gently lowered her to the bed and came to his knees, keeping his body between her legs. "Was there really no option for you?"

She shook her head, running her fingers through his hair wanting to keep physical contact with him. "Maybe if I had been brave," she admitted. "I was just so scared. I know fear, Neville. I know you're scared now."

He clenched his jaw and leaned in, surprising her with a hard kiss. He gripped the back of her head and held her to him, deepening the kiss in a carnal way. His body was hard against hers. His mouth devoured hers. He poured his anger and fear into her and she let him, let him grip her roughly, almost harshly and let him pull her into him as his mouth furiously kissed her.

She broke away, gasping for breath. "Neville… Theo… Theo may still be here…"

He didn't stop though, dragging his hard lips down her throat and sucking on her collar bone. He bit her there and she knew there would be a mark. His hands gripped her bottom so hard she gasped again. "Neville!" He didn't stop.

He released his hands from her bottom minutes later and ran them roughly along the outside of her thighs resting them on each of her knees. Leaning back, his eyes met hers and he said, "Take off your robes. Now."

Breathing deeply, she waited a moment before saying, "Make me."

She watched as his eyes narrowed just slightly and he was standing over her barely a second later. He gripped the front of her robes with both hands and yanked her to her own feet, gasping at the sudden movement, the barely contained violence and anger that simmered beneath his skin. He spread the seam and pushed the robes off her roughly, looking over her clothing: a simple black skirt and camisole she had worn under her formal robes. His hands immediately came to the small of her back and his chest was rubbing against hers.

She never thought in a million years she would end up with someone who could hurt her so much. He was so much bigger than her, so much stronger. After everything she went through, she just assumed she would end up with someone… gentler.

Neville could be gentle if he tried.

He wasn't trying now.

"You really want to challenge me right now, Pansy?" he whispered in her ear, the most dominate aspect of him coming to the front. His tone sent shivers down her spine, which he felt, and made her body jump to attention. He pushed his hands, slowly yet firmly, underneath the silky fabric of her skirt coming to rest on her bare cheeks. "Do you?" He asked again.

Her fingers jerked to the edge of her camisole, his hands gripped her yet again and he used his strength to pick her up and set her on the top of her dresser. She used the moment to tug her cami over her head, revealing a simple cotton black bra. He dropped his own robes to the ground behind him, bringing his hands to the front of his jeans. His chest stretched beneath a white tee shirt and she licked her lips at the sight. His eyes caught the movement and he jerked his jeans down after finally unbuttoning them.

"Neville! You went commando!" She gasped as his hard erection popped into view.

He clutched his wand out of his back jean pocket and came back between her thighs. He raised his Cherry wand and pointed it right at her heart.

"Diffindo!"

"Neville!" She cried loudly, scared and aroused at the same time, but she was perfectly fine. The fabric of her bra between her breasts split open, allowing her breasts to fall out. He was out of control and yet had complete control over his magic, not hurting her even for a second with that magic.

He pushed her thighs further apart and without any hesitation pushed into her folds, burying himself inside of her to the hilt.


	25. The Hard Edge II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of that explicit sex in this chapter!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 25

August 19th, 2006

Her back arched and a snarl escaped her throat as she threw her head back into the mirror behind her. Neville filled her entirely, stretching every inch of her core, his erection pushed against every sensitive bit of her. She panted as he stood frozen next to her, his hands twitching on her hips.

"Fuck, are you okay? Fuck." he bit out, jaw line rigid and the cords in his neck stood out as he attempted to control himself. She could see the hard edge slowly softening, and something close to shame flickering over his face.

But she wasn't a some delicate flower.

Her hands rose up to his shoulders, clutching at the fabric of his tee shirt. "Take it off!" She demanded. She wanted to feel his skin. She wanted to claw at his back. She wanted him to move.

She jerked her hips against him as hard as she was able, the dresser and his body trapping her as they were, and it made him growl. He pushed her head to the side and kissed her neck, her ear, her throat. But kept his hips completely still, allowing her to get used to him, stretching her in the most perfect of ways. She cried for him to move, she begged him for it, but instead he groped at her breasts. Then he leaned forward and sucked a nipple into his mouth, groaning when he heard her cry out again. He sucked and licked and kissed and then dragged his teeth along the underside of her breast before switching his attention to the other.

The sexual heat was too much. She heard herself whimpering but didn't care, because this man was making her feel like she was being kissed on every inch of her skin. He was worshiping her and filling her and completing her.

He was ravishing her other nipple with his tongue and teeth, focusing steadily on making her sob as she was, his length still buried inside her.

She jerked her hips again in protest, clawing at his shirt. She couldn't take much more.

"You want me to take it off?" he mumbled into the skin on her breasts, continuing to keep his hips still, yet aligned with hers, he teased her breasts with his mouth again and again, wanting nothing more than to her to continue making those sounds.

"Please, oh please Neville."

Her breathy voice begging him finally settled the dangerous edge he had been feeling all day. Her body was perfection beneath his. Her cheeks flushed with sex, chest rising quickly with every breath, she peeked up at him through her sleek bangs and her violet eyes were begging him. He could never deny her anything.

He released her hips briefly, just long enough to tear off his tee shirt and then his hands were on her again. His mouth found hers and finally, finally he was moving inside of her. He set a pace that was hard and fast, one that made her sob. His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips like hers dug into his shoulders, nails biting at the skin.

He pounded her, the dresser beneath them shifting with every thrust he made. He took out all of his anger and all of his frustration on her, showing no mercy in his thrusts. He wanted her to scream. And she did.

She cried out over and over again, never before feeling so possessed, so stretched with pleasure. When she finally came, it was sharp and loud and quick, her vision shattering and her body melting against his. He petted her as she took gulping breaths.

He slowed way down, gentling her, taking care of her.

He reached down and cupped her bottom again, picking her up and taking her to her bed. He laid her down so gently, never leaving her, and covered her body with his. The sheets beneath her felt like clouds.

"I want to try something." he mumbled into her ear, voice heavy with sex and none of the anger that rode him before.

He petted her arms, sliding his hands up and gripping her hands in his. He brought them up above her head, holding them down. He started to move inside her again, slowly but making every movement go deep. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Before long she was whimpering beneath him as heat bubbled up inside her again. He didn't stop, he kept that mercilessly slow pace making her cry out with every movement. When she cried his name, he clamped her hands with his own and brushed the palms of her hands with his thumbs, pushing his magic into her like he did before. This time, the intent was all sex.

Her eyes went wide as her body bucked hard against his, screaming out. He held her hands down and kept up the rate, slow but deep as magic pulsed inside of her.

She kept screaming, feeling his sex magic prickle through her, spreading out and intensifying her orgasm by a million. A hundred million.

He didn't stop.

Before long her voice started going out, her body jerking back and forth beneath him as a sexual high she had never known before completely consumed her. Heat was drowning her in waves until she felt him pick up the pace and then the heat turned searing. His magic tasted like sex and earth and rain. It felt like Neville and the most intimate and unyielding of sexual pleasures.

She thought she might've begged, she definitely screamed. Nothing had ever felt so good before, the magic going straight through her body, hammering on her nipples, on her stomach, on the sensitive bud between her legs. Neville kept sliding his length in and out of her, his hands holding down her own. She felt something snap and she shattered again beneath him, and then it happened again... and again... he felt as she squeezed him and he came with her, releasing her hands and shuddering as his own orgasm filled him.

It took a long time for her to calm down, sweat dripping from her body, her lungs begging for air. Aftershocks rippled over her skin for long minutes after they finished, her whimpers and trembling slowly winding down. His magic prickled with passion across her body, leaving a flush and an overwhelming satisfaction. 

It was only when he lifted himself off her, his head finally clearing, that he realized just how hard he had taken her.

"Pansy," he gasped. "Oh gods I'm sorry." He watched as a tear leaked from her eye, he brushed it away with his thumb. Then another. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Pansy?"

"Didn't." She croaked, voice ragged and almost completely gone. "Didn't hurt."

He pulled away from her, wiping sweat away from his brow, feeling ashamed. He ran his hands gently over her, pulling her skirt off fully, pulling the remains of her bra off her arms. He tugged her limp body into his arms and hugged her, cradled her. 

"It could've been you… instead of Heather… it could've been you…" he tucked his naked body around hers.

She understood some of his fear now. Heather had been brutalized right next to the room where Pansy worked. If it had been a random attack, if Pansy had been there instead…

"I'm so sorry." he said again.

"Stop." She said. "Please stop apologizing. You didn't hurt me." Her voice was still a croak, like she had lost her voice. Her arms felt like jelly, but she lifted them and wrapped them around his back, nuzzling her face into his chest. They took the moment to fully relax, holding on to each other, gaining their breath back. "I really want to know how you do that… push your magic into me like that…"

"I have no idea… it feels good to do it though, like it wants you as much as I want you…"

"There's a difference, you know." She said to him, voice barely a whisper.

"Difference?" He asked.

"Between what we just did and what it would take to hurt me."

He thought about that for a long minute. "How is it different?"

She looked up at him, catching his eyes with her own. "What we did was rough, but brought me so much pleasure… what he would do was just about pain."

Just went Neville opened his mouth to say something Theo's voice floated up to them over the balcony.

"You guys need anything up there? Some snacks? A whiskey? A cigarette?"

Neville laughed as Pansy groaned.

"You yell at him, my voice is gone." She buried her head in his chest, cheeks going red with embarrassment.

"I don't want to yell at him. I'm starting to feel kind of proud."

"Damn stubborn Gryffindor."


	26. Order Meeting Dues

A Riven Heart

Chapter 26

August 24th, 2006

Harry Potter stood at the front of the table and gestured for everyone to sit.

"We've all know that Voldemort's supporters have been making a reappearance lately. Okay? We've all known he was bound to show up again, it's been so long since he was last in England. But this time we're ready, the Ministry won't fall again. We just have to get ahead of this before they cause any more deaths." He said, beginning the meeting.

"Voldemort has been spotted. He's in England again." Ron said, taking over. "We have now caught two out of the three Death Eater's that caused the mess in London last week, but the third is still unknown."

Hermione took the lead from there. "I believe there are still supporters of Voldemort in London, possibly in the Ministry, they just don't have the foothold they had last time. This warehouse closed last week, a potion supply place. There was a terrible smell coming from the back by Monday. It was reported to the Ministry and Harry and Ron went out there to check things out." She put a small photo on the table for everyone to see. "Troy Primpernelle, we believe, was found dead, hundreds of snakes crawling around his body. His potion supply had been ransacked and the place was a mess." A small frown marred her face. "His sister, Heather," She slapped another photo on the table showing what happened at Everyday Potion's. "She was found dead last week."

Neville shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he looked at the picture. "Does Hannah know yet?" He asked softly. He hadn't seen her since the episode at Everyday Potion's, but after the death of Heather, he wasn't sure if Hannah could handle Troy passing too.

"We haven't seen her, she wasn't at the scene with Troy like she was with Heather."

"Don't know what we would tell her either, because we think Troy was smuggling Death Eaters back into London through his supply company." Mr. Weasley spoke up, putting another picture down on the table. This time it was a close up his left arm, the only piece of him that was unmarked by blood, cuts, or dark magic. A vivid red Dark Mark however, was clearly visible. "No matter what we do at the Ministry, there will always been those who believe in a Pureblood society. This was bound to happen."

A collective silence as everyone looked at the photo.

Shifting, Neville sat up in chair. "I – I know Death Eater's have been trying to recruit… but there's just no fucking way Troy would join them. He was a Half-Blood!"

"Language, Neville." Mrs. Weasley chided from beside him.

"Neville, the proof is on his arm. The magic cannot be forced onto someone. That's one thing we've always known. If someone has the Mark, they chose it. Even if they being forced into accepting…" he said shooting a look at Draco. "There has be some kind of verbal agreement." Mr. Weasley put a comforting hand on Neville's shoulders. "I'm sorry..."

"Troy had that shop set up years ago, he has had plenty of time to get Death Eaters into London by now. This is bad, Harry." Hermione put another picture down on the table. This one showed a few familiar faces. Members of Slytherin House while the group had been at school stood in a corner on an unfamiliar street, before disappearing. "Marcus Flint, Miles Bletchey, Blaise Zabini, Terence Higgs, and Lucian Bole have been identified. Most of them had parents in Voldemort's support group while we attended school." Hermione informed the group.

"Where was Voldemort spotted?"

"Malfoy Manor." Draco's lips thinned as he said the words. "My family's ancestral home. The bastard murdered my father at the Parkinson's house eight years ago and now he sets up shop in my old home. He still knew how to bypass the wards. My mother is trapped in there with him. She sent a Patronus to me, that's how we know he's here." He pounded the table with his balled fists. "We have to get in there and get her out."

"Don't make any rash decisions, Malfoy." Harry said firmly. "We have to plan this. Eight years and none of us have had any luck finding the last Horcrux." Leaning forward he said, "He will not be defeated until we find and destroy that last Horcrux. I'm pretty sure there's only one we're missing."

"She said there are at least ten other Death Eaters with him. He is trying to rebuild his body." Malfoy spat out the last few words. "Potter, we are getting my mother out of there. And soon, or I will go without you."

"Don't be an idiot, Malfoy!" Ron burst out angrily. "We can't go rushing in there. We have to listen to Harry. We'll ALL go with you, don't do anything barmy."

Hermione reached out, taking his hand in her own. "It'll be okay, Draco. We won't let anything happen to your mother."

"Look I just don't think she has a lot time. When he shared our home before, he did it knowing we were loyal followers. He's bound to know I've joined The Order by now, that I'm an Auror. He won't be too kind to my mother because of that. On top of her testimonies after the last war ended..." Draco huffed and looked around at the room. He was trusted among these people. He had to push back the urge to storm into his old house and start setting shit on fire. Logically, he knew he had better chances of waiting and planning something out with the Order. But still...

"My mother was luckier than some. Even though she witnessed the death of my father, Voldemort was torturing Pansy's father that night… he was trying to get information out of him. He… he tortured Pansy too… It was Pansy's mother that went crazy. I haven't spoken to Denise Parkinson is years, but from what I know her health is deteriorating and quickly..." He paused for a moment. "If anything happens to my mum, Potter... I will never forgive you."

At the mention of Pansy's torture, Neville clenched his fist on the table.

"We plan this right and everything will be fine. Including your Mother, Draco." Mrs. Weasley spoke up and gave him a comforting look. "Hermione's right. Everything will work out. We just need to plan."

"Why was he torturing them? The Parkinson's? What did they know?" Harry asked.

"I – I honestly can't remember much, Potter. It was a rough night… my father was murdered that night."

"It's okay, Draco." Hermione said, petting his hand again. Then she had a look that said meant she had thought of something important. "Do you think Pansy would remember? It might help… if he was looking for something, it was right after the Battle right?"

"Yes, just a few days… if he was looking for something, do you think it would be a Horcrux though? Wouldn't he know where it was already?"

"He gave the Diary to your dad though, right? Maybe he gave one of his Horcruxes to the Parkinsons?"

"He might've, and he knew after the Battle that we destroyed all the others… maybe he gave the last one to Pansy's dad years ago. We need to get her in here immediately." Harry said to Neville.

"Do you remember anything else from that night, Malfoy?"

"His body was already deformed, but it kind of imploded on its self... the screaming was the worst fucking thing I've ever heard. He kind of disappeared and reappeared over and over. He was going crazy… I … ended up passing out."

Harry put both of his hands on the table and looked at Neville. "We need Pansy Parkinson in here, now."

"Don't you guys remember all the things said about her in the Prophet?" Draco asked. "Right after the Battle at Hogwarts? Rita Skeeter wrote some pretty horrible things about her. She wanted to leave England after that. I convinced her to stay and told her that it would get better for her. But we had a falling out a few years ago... Bloody hell! Why would she do anything for you people? She had it really rough that last year at Hogwart's…"

Neville thumped both his fists on the table. "She'll help."

"I remember the articles. Draco I bought the Prophet for that reason though and had the great pleasure of firing that miserable Rita Skeeter myself." Hermione said. "The articles said she had the Dark Mark, and was the main cause for all the problems that year at Hogwarts, working for Voldemort inside the school. And like it or not Malfoy, you are part of the group now. You're one of us."

"Oh bloody hell!" He said again.

"She doesn't have a Mark, I can personally vouch for that and most of you have seen for yourselves." Neville stood up, trying to divert all the attention from Draco. "I'll bring her, you guys all got along all right with her so I hope you believe me when I say she really is a good witch."

"We ask what she knows, if she is willing to share her memories." Harry gentled his voice. "Neville, just ask her to come in and help us. We can clear her name, if she can help us stop Voldemort. Trust me no one is going to give her a hard time ever again. If Voldemort is back in London, that means he has a plan and is somewhat back to strength. We need information now so we can act fast."

"Alright, I'll go get her."


	27. Dead Men Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay this is marks the beginning of a long night for our Pansy, lots of action, violence, and angst over the next few chapters! This was my original idea for the story that got me going! yay!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 27

August 24th, 2006

Feeling completely sorry for herself, Pansy sat down at her kitchen table and opened a bottle she found in her mother's liquor cabinet. She poured a little into the glass, summoned up as much courage as she could, and took a sip. This day has just been great, she thought bitterly.

Neville hadn't spent the night last night saying he was trying, once again to deal with Hannah and as much as he would love to spend the night, didn't feel right coming home to her in a foul mood he knew he would been in. And it only served to remind her, she hadn't been invited to see his apartment yet. He was also dealing with work and while she knew that was important, she missed him. She had woken up alone and with another rejection letter from the Potions Master's program. They, as always, informed her that while they appreciated her enthusiasm and her excellent potion work, at this time weren't accepting any applicants. Pansy knew it was bull, it was because they didn't want a 'Death Eater' in their program. There was plenty of room in the program.

So she had gone to see her mother.

Denise had been pleased to see her daughter, even if said daughter was acting like an absolutely wreck. She had even seemed lucid for most of her visit – until the end. Denise had flipped out, throwing her tea cup on the floor.

"Whore. Slut. Worthless."

Just a small taste of what her mother unleashed on her before saying she would not go to St. Mungo's.

Finally getting home had been the biggest relief. Even if her delicious Auror wasn't here tonight. Grateful for the silence that came with her small house, she poured more alcohol into her glass. The greenish liquid swirled around and then settled happily.

The bottle was labeled "Daisyroot Draught" with a green and white border decorated with sweet looking daisies drawn in a line down the front starting from the dip of the 'y'. She thought it looked rather pretty.

She sighed and knocked back the entirety of her glass. Setting the empty tumbler by the sink, she grabbed the bottle by the neck and headed up the stairs to her room. In no time, she had the record playing and was undressing, her bath running.

She didn't know what to do about her mother and with every passing day, this plain yet un-explainable knowing settled in, telling Pansy that Denise was going to kill her, or kill herself... and soon.

And it saddened her, because below all the insanity, ignoring away all the craziness and the bitterness and the last eight years, Pansy missed her mother so much. She missed that clever smile and afternoons watching Denise's quick hands paint stunning portraits.

That woman was gone.

Gently shutting the door to the bathroom, she amplified the sound from her record player and tested the water with a toe. Perfect. Lighting the candles with a swish of her wand, she took a swig from the bottle and then sunk into the tub, physically feeling her troubles melting away.

Potions Master? One day… she promised herself. She relaxed a few, soothing minutes before reaching over the tub and digging through a basket of lotions and potions by the door. Adding a few drops of Stress-Be-Gone Rose Oil, she watched as the sweet smelling drops spread through her bath, relaxing her body.

As Pansy closed her eyes, she listened to the peaceful melody and hummed along. She felt the alcohol in her belly warming her up from the inside out, the hot bath water helping the process along.

She thought of long, unyielding kisses and deep blue eyes that made her laugh.

The last thing she expected to see when she opened her eyes was Troy Primpernelle standing above the tub looking down at her. His Dark Mark swirled angrily on his arm and he was grinning nastily at her. His black robes hung loosely on his figure, his hair around his face in tangles.

"Troy!?" She shouted out, gasping at the Dark Mark on his arm, which stood out as a vicious red and black.

"Sorry to be a bother Pansy, but the Dark Lord requests an audience with you immediately."

oOoOoO

Neville felt just a touch nervous at his task, asking Pansy to come into the heart of The Order and reveal some of her secrets. He would do his best to protect her though, because otherwise it would just hurt him. He Apparated directly to Pansy's front street and he looked at his surroundings.

He briskly walked down the path to the front door, casting a nonverbal spell to check that the wards were still active, a habit he had developed after coming here so often. They were starting to recognize him he noticed. Pansy was so skilled at developing the wards on her house, they were almost sentient. Just another one of her subtle talents that made Neville so damn proud to call this witch his own, no matter that Hannah was attempting to hold him hostage in a muggle union.

As he went to turn the doorknob, he realized with a frown what he was seeing: broken wards.

It was at that second he heard a high-pitched shout, Pansy's shout, from inside, followed by the shattering of glass.

Going into Auror mode, he burst through the door and rushed inside. Neville heard another shout, this one from a male and it was coming from above him. He took the steps two at a time, but kept his head down and his wand out. He resisted the urge to start shouting out for Pansy.

The stairs led into Pansy's bedroom. He took everything in as he took quick, sure steps to the bathroom. The sight that greeted him boiled his blood. Water had spilled over the tub and onto the floor. A few candles were knocked over, the wax spilling down onto the counter. Troy Primpernelle was in the bathtub on top of a naked Pansy with his greasy hands around her throat. Troy was rubbing his whole body, fully clothed, against Pansy's naked one, and whispering something into her ear as he choked her slowly.

His vision went red.

"STUPEFY!" Neville's wand shot out and Troy slumped into the tub, unconscious, right on top of Pansy. Maybe he had been a little too forceful, but he didn't care at that moment. Walking over he pulled Troy's limp body out of the tub and dropped him on the floor with little care.

Pansy wrapped her arms around herself in shock, looking up at the ceiling. The skin around her throat was raw - a red hand print was bruised into her neck. Her wet, dark locks were pasted to her skin on her shoulders and chest. There were small cuts across her ribs and stomach where glass had obviously shattered.

Neville was shouting as he turned around to revive Troy just so he could beat the shit out of him with his bare hands when he heard a strangled word that nearly cut him in two.

"Neville..." Pansy was hurt. His Pansy was hurt. A fucking dead man had gotten to her… hurt her.

He dropped to his knees, scooping his hands into the tub to support her. She was shivering even though the water felt hot to the touch.

"What the hell happened? I thought Troy was dead!?" He pulled her out of the tub and out of the bathroom, away from Troy and away from everything.

"Dead? No… worse…. Death Eater." He sat her down on the bed and ran back into the bathroom, grabbing dry towels. He ran back out to the bedroom and wrapped one big towel around her frame.

Pansy was in shock. Troy had come at her so fast, his wand had shot something dark red at her body that numbed it instantly. She had felt his body pressed against hers, but it felt far away. Despite his words, he had wanted to hurt her. She saw a madness in his eyes that looked foreign to the man she knew.

She had trusted Troy. She had the faint impression that his hands had been on her neck. He had dunked her head under the water a few times to add to the affect. She knew he was choking her, but the feeling of death had only slowly crept up on her. When it finally became clear that she was about to slip away into darkness, that's when she had panicked. That's when she had screamed. Gods, she hadn't even considered summoning her wand to her... I am an idiot, she thought.

Fucking Troy.

Neville wrapped a warm towel around her, his jeans soaked around the knees… She couldn't even look at him. She kept her eyes trained on her ceiling. She was completely naked, completely shocked, and Neville was there to see it all. He saw what almost happened. He had saved her. She was mortified. And now… Neville would blame himself, she knew.

"Pansy," His voice carried a note of rage, barely contained. "I'm going to touch you now. I will not hurt you."

When his fingers brushed her shoulder, she couldn't help but cry out. The numbing spell had apparently worn off almost right away after Troy was knocked out. Neville's touch was a jolt to her, and all that quickly she knew something was wrong with her shoulder.

"Oh fuck," Neville's voice became raspy with anger. "Your shoulder has been dislocated. Pansy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this is going to hurt. A lot."

She gulped back tears. She knew she was going to cry, but she wanted to hold out for as long as she could. "Neville, I need you to give me a minute okay? Go just… go and I'll come out soon." She hated the way her voice sounded, but hated him in this room with her right now so much more.

Fingers on the side of her face had her whimpering and he moved her head oh so gently to look at him. His eyes were burning as he said, "If I leave… Because you're hurt and… you have to let me help you otherwise I am going to kill that man."

The tears were going to well up at any second, but she knew this man, knew his heart and she couldn't deny him.


	28. The Long Night I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama! Angst! All of it and more incoming! :)

A Riven Heart

Chapter28

August 24th, 2006

It took him another few moments to step away from her, but the sight of her engorged shoulder finally got him moving. He sent a Patronus to Theo, with a message to get his ass to Pansy's right away if wanted to live to see another day. He was torn between needing to stay with Pansy and wanting to get the scum that was Troy away from her as soon as he could.

The giant, silvery bear burst from his wand and took off towards Theo's manor. He nodded once, knowing Theo would come, and stood up, grabbing Troy's body and Apparated out of the room without another word, the wards allowing him departure. The look on his face right before he disappeared made Pansy think she would never see Troy again.

Taking a small breath of relief at finally being alone, she waited another minute before trying to move herself. The pain was... the ache of her shoulder... she knew without a doubt something was so wrong with it.

She blinked past it, using the same skills she used in school to ignore the pain she had inflicted on herself. Besides her shoulder, she felt a shard or two of glass cutting into her skin and her muscles were aching all over. Planting her feet as firmly into the floor as she could, she stood on wobbly legs and started looking for her wand.

It lay on the floor by the bathroom door. She looked down at the Willow wand and wondered why, why of all times, she hadn't even thought of summoning it to her. If she didn't use her ability when she really, desperately needed to – Gods what the hell had she been thinking? What was the point of having such an ability if she didn't use it?

She grabbed and secured the towel around her body. Then she bent down awkwardly to retrieve her wand. Neville was right, her right shoulder hurt. Oh Neville…

She decided to leave the mess in the bathroom. Blowing out the remaining candles, she walked - well, more like wobbled - into her bedroom and sat back down on her bed. She kept her wand awkwardly in her left hand, not quite ready to be without it yet. She didn't know how much good she could do with her right arm feeling so useless.

She heard her front door open and knew her moments alone were over. Two sets of footsteps were coming to her room. She felt her heart rate and breathing quickened as the footsteps got closer and closer.

A blonde man knelt down in front of her, Draco's face swimming into her vision. She thought she was about to throw up. "Why," her voice cracked as she realized her throat was starting to really ache. "Why did he come?"

"Pansy, you really think I can be alone in a room with Troy fucking Primpernelle right now?" Draco snarled his hands on her face as he looked her over. Funnily, it didn't feel intimate like it did when Neville did the same thing earlier.

Neville sat beside her and put his hand on the back of her neck again. That barely contained rage was still pulsing through him.

"How hard was it for you to leave Troy then, Neville?" She asked, her voice wavering.

"I don't want to talk about him right now, Pansy." Yep, he was still pissed, his voice held a hard edge he never used with her. "I am going to numb your shoulder before I set it back into place."

"NO!" She cried out and tried to push herself away from him, accidentally yanking her shoulder badly. Crying out again, she couldn't stop the tears this time. But the mere thought of being numb again sent her back into sheer panic. "Please don't. Please don't." She backed up on her bed and put some distance between her a Neville.

"Circe! Pansy please! This is going to hurt like a son of a bitch." He grabbed her hand and held it gently, as gently as he was able, with his own. "Please." He added forcefully. "Let me help you."

"I won't ever talk to you again if you cast a single spell on me, Neville. I won't." Sobbing and holding herself up as much as she could, she knew she sounded absolutely pitiful right then and she didn't care one bit.

"Damnit Pansy!" Neville sounded exasperated; he threw up his arms and started pacing the room in a huff.

"Just... just do it without the spell, hurry up because it really hurts." She sniffed, trying a different approach.

"Fuck!"

"Neville, just fucking do it. We can't leave it dislocated." Draco growled out, he gestured to Pansy's arm. "Stop trying to not hurt her feelings, she'll get over it. Wish there was a spell for this…"

"NO! Fuck you Malfoy," Pansy spat out. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Neville Longbottom, don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare! Troy numbed me! When he attacked me! He fucking numbed me."

Seething, the mention of Troy lit his face further with rage. "He did what?"

She realized how bad of an idea mentioning Troy had been, but it was done, so she changed her approach. Her voice was soft and pleading. "It's over. Neville, don't numb me... just help me. Please? I need your help."

It worked, he sat down next to her, took her left arm and looked in her eyes. "This is going to hurt a lot more than it should then. Hold her Draco."

"Just cast the fucking numbing spell –" but he stood up and got on the bed with her, wrapping his arms around her side.

Pansy laid her head on his shoulder. "Bastard."

Draco just snorted. "Just because someone threw a fucking crystal ball at my head and told me never to talk to her again doesn't make me illegitimate."

Sniff. Sniff. "You deserved it after what you said." She replied. "I'm ready Neville, please just do it quickly."

Neville pinched his lips together and with a little force and a practiced hand he popped her shoulder back into its socket.

Pansy screamed.

This girl was going to kill him, he thought. He sat down next to a wailing Pansy. Draco had his arms around her, her tears soaking the front of the blonde's robes. Something about the sound of her crying, it finally snapped Neville out of his rage. He placed a hand on her back and rubbed up and down for a minute. He didn't know what else to do. He couldn't voice any kind of feelings for her, but this woman was his. He knew it from the first day he talked to her in that tea shop, from the first time she worried her lips at his possessiveness instead of running like most women did. Knew it from the first time they shared a kiss, she would give back as good as she got. Pansy had made a space for herself right in his soul.

Yet, she was sobbing in the comfort of Draco's arms instead of his. But he knew from experience how utterly painful it was to pop back in a dislocated shoulder. No amount of magic could take away that pain totally... and he was the one who caused that pain.

He was fucking ashamed, even knowing he had to do it. His witch had been hurt enough...

"I'm going to do a perimeter search, make sure the house is secure." he bit out, standing.

"Wait..." Pansy sat up, wincing as the movement jostled her shoulder. "Stay please..."

He found himself wrapping his arms around her, carefully avoiding the shoulder that was beginning to show signs of bruising. "Of course." He could never deny her.

Draco nodded at him with a silent signal that he was going to check the house and then he headed downstairs. Neville knew no one would get to her again.

"I'm sorry Pansy... I won't let anyone get in this house." He couldn't stop himself from saying the words. It sounded like a vow, and it was one he intended to keep. "How did he get passed the wards?"

One arm wrapped around her, keeping her snug to him, he ran his other hand through her hair and tried to soothe her tears. He laid them back on the bed and made sure she was covered up with her quilt.

"I don't fucking know." she said through sobs.

They stayed like that for awhile, as she cried it out.

"Thank you..." she said after a long while. "Thank you for saving me..."

"Pansy, you are mine." His moved his hand to gently stroke her cheek, then her jaw. Her hair had spread out on the pillow beneath her. "Look at me." When her eyes slowly opened, her purple irises surrounded by red and filled with tears. "I won't let him hurt you ever again. I promise. You're mine to protect."

He sighed and leaned down, brushing a gentle kiss across her lips. Her face was still salty with tears and said, "What do you need?"

Before she could tell him she was fine, just beyond shaken up and feeling bruised - which she was - they both heard the door downstairs open with a bang and someone taking the steps two at a time. Theo's dark head of hair and ice blue eyes came into view and he stopped at the top of the stairs, his gaze on Pansy.

His hands clenched, as he tried to find something to say. "Do you…" his rage was obvious in his shoulders as he stood in front of them shaking.

"I mean… do you…" he tried again, but his teeth clenched together until finally...

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUCKING SCARED I WAS WHEN A GIANT FUCKING BEAR CAME CRASHING THROUGH MY WINDOW TELLING ME YOU WERE HURT AND TO GET MY ASS OVER HERE. AND YOU GUYS ARE JUST CUDDLING ON THE BED LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED? A BEAR! HONESTLY! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA..."

His screaming caused Pansy to jump, which hurt her bruised shoulder, which caused her to squeak, which caused Neville to growl. "Calm the fuck down Theo! It was just my Patronus!"

"Patronus? It was bigger than ME!"

They heard another set of footsteps rushing up the stairs. Malfoy huffed once he was in sight. "What in the world are you yelling about? Bears? I don't see any fucking bears!"

"His. Fucking. Patronus!" Theo clenched his teeth again, pointing at Neville.

Another set of footsteps and Percy Weasley came into view.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Please, people. This is my bedroom, in case you didn't notice." Her pain obvious in every word.

"Don't act like you don't have people screaming in your bedroom regularly."

"Don't even bring that up right now, Theo. We told you to go home."

Percy stepped forward and put a hand on Theo's shoulder. "Theodore, we're here for a reason."

Theo shook a bit and turned to Pansy. "Are you okay? What the hell happened?"

"I'm fine. I more mad at myself than anyone." She responded, relaxing back into Neville's arm, except Neville turned his body so he could look at her, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you kidding? Troy tried to kill you! I found him strangling you, look at her neck!" He said to Theo, Draco, and Percy. "Look what he did to her shoulder!"

The shoulder in question hadn't yet formed the nasty bruise it would, but she had Bruise Removal Cream in stock and wasn't worried about it. She had no idea how bad her neck looked. So she told him so.

"Stop, Neville. I have Bruise Removal, and I can whip up a Pain Potion in my sleep."

"That doesn't matter, why would you be mad at yourself? This was done to you."

"Because I could have stopped it, Neville." She held out her hand and summoned her wand to her. "It didn't cross my mind once to do this, to defend myself."

Percy looked on with shock written all over his face.

She continued, "I thought of screaming, I thought about Theo, I thought of my mom, and finally I thought about death. I never once thought about defending myself."

"That doesn't make it your fault!" He argued back.

"No, it doesn't! But I'm still mad at myself for it!" She snapped. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm still naked under this towel and there are three other men in this room besides us and I'm starting to get uncomfortable!"

"Gaahhh..." Frustrated and pissed off, he stood up and shoo'd away the other men out of the room.

"You too, Neville." Pansy said, watching the men retreat.

"Are you kidding?" He turned towards her, lips pinched. "You think I could leave you alone right now?!"

"No I'm not kidding! I need five minutes to be alone! To get dressed! To process what the hell just happened!" She stood up, and walked to her bathroom without another word, slamming the door with a force that rattled her walls and shelves.

She knew why she was angry, but she didn't know why she was taking it out on Neville. She dropped the towel and stood in front of the mirror. gulping air. Cuts from broken potion bottles scraped along both her arms and her stomach, a bruising hand print around her throat. Her shoulder was starting to look worse and worse.

Why had Troy done this? She thought bitterly about his crazed eyes behind hair that hung in greasy, unkempt strands that were usually well groomed... Sweet-natured Troy, half-blood, the man who loved his sister and worked so hard at his job...?

She let out a frustrated sigh and began digging through her hamper for clothing. She wanted to be fully clothed when she faced the men, her friends, again. When she found a relatively clean pair of jeans and a tee shirt she felt the last bit of her fear fall away. Neville was here, Theo was here, even Draco was here... rationally she knew she was safe.

She just felt angry and now that she was alone she could fully admit to herself that she had lied to Neville.

When Troy was squeezing the life out of her, his body above hers like a blade, she had thought of Theo and her mother, but she had thought of Neville too. And that's when she had screamed. Her blue eyed man was inside of her and she was afraid of what that meant.

Even more... a strange part of herself, something she couldn't define or even understand, something that felt like magic and yet foreign, was yelling at her that this night had only just begun and that she should be very afraid...


	29. The Long Night II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The usual, angst, swearing, drama. Yum! :D

A Riven Heart

Chapter 29

August 24th, 2006

She heard a quiet knocking against the bathroom door and knew her alone time was up. Of course any man whose Patronus was a giant bear would be very protective. Of course... she was drawn to that aspect of his personality, having spent her life feeling mostly alone and unneeded...

She took a steadying breath and opened the door, pushing those thoughts away. She didn't need them... not tonight.

Instead of seeing Neville however, she looked down and saw a pain potion, Bruise Removal cream, and a brilliantly purple colored rose petal. Her heart melted in her chest, her face falling into a smile she couldn't help. How the hell was he coming up with these rose petals? Why the hell did it go straight to her heart? This man knew he too well.

She knelt down to pick up the petal, holding it in the palm of her hand. She was awed by the unique color, the bright purple matching her eyes almost exactly. Its extravagant fragrance hit her nose and she breathed it in deeply.

She picked up the cream and the potion, downing the later immediately because her throat and shoulder were beginning to throb with a pulsing ache. She walked to the balcony and looked over to the living room below. Neville paced back and forth in front of the couch where Theo and Percy were sitting together. His hands clenched and then relaxed only to clench again, a sign of his stress. Malfoy was in the chair, an ankle folded over his knee, and she knew he too was on edge by the look on his face and the stress across his lean shoulders.

All of them looked on edge, actually. More so than just because of what happened to her. She grabbed her warmest jumper, holding it to her chest and thought of what she should do. Her heart thumped painfully. She felt an anxious, dark cloud over her head, that strange knowing that the darkness from the horizon was catching up to her, about to collide... as if she were about to take a step in a direction she didn't know the way. She thought of the rose petal in her hand, of the other three she collected in a sweet smelling wooden box she kept safe. None of the other petals had wilted yet, and she hadn't figured out why. She was determined too. She wanted more.

She never would have guessed it months ago, but Neville was in her heart now.

Her bedroom had become a sanctuary to them, spending long nights exploring pleasure she had never known before. His greenhouses were the sites of their dates, getting their hands dirty and planting new life. They ate meals together and took care of each other...It was exactly what she wanted to do. It was the quiet life she needed.

Anything she did now, she had to think of Neville. She had to be on his side. Any bad decisions she made would just hurt him. She had to take care of herself otherwise it would be Neville that would suffer.

And there it was, decision made. She walked downstairs.

Neville's eyes watched her as she descended the stairs. He stepped in front of her when she turned towards them.

She held the cream out to him and said in a gentle voice, "Will you help me put this on, please? I can't quite reach…"

The peace offering worked exactly as she thought it would. His face relaxed as he jumped to taking care of her, opening the jar without a word and using his fingers to spread the cream oh so gently on her throat and neck. Then he turned her around and began on her shoulder.

"Did you take the pain potion? I found it in your kitchen."

"I did, thank you. And," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Thank you for the other thing too."

He came around in front of her again, the tiniest of smiles in his eyes. "You're welcome."

He took her hands and led her to the couch, sitting her down between Theo and Percy.

Neville went back to pacing in front of them. "Tell me what happened exactly, Pansy."

"You didn't miss much." She mumbled, pulling her jumper over her head and her arms through the sleeves, immediately feeling warmer.

"Start from the beginning, did he ask you anything? Did he say anything?" She thought it over.

"I got – I was feeling bad today and I spent time at Mother's. I came home and decided to take a hot bath. It was maybe, I don't know ten minutes or so after I got in the tub when he showed up. And he said something about the Dark Lord requesting an audience with me, those were the words he used… Is he back? Is Voldemort back?"

The quiet that engulfed the room was her answer.

"He's got Mother as a hostage." Draco said from his chair. Knowing what The Malfoy's went through the last time Voldemort set up court in their home had horror setting in.

"No! He's at the Manor again? Draco… I'm so sorry." She couldn't convey how bad she felt for Mrs. Malfoy. "But… why would he want me? Doesn't he want Harry?"

"That's why we're here." Percy said from her right. He tentatively took her hand in his, their friendship still budding, still new.

"I told them about that night, Pansy. The night Father died." Draco said next.

His words sparked memories she tried so hard to hold back, memories of the life fading from her father's eyes and the brutal insanity taking over her mother's.

"Why? What…" she felt clueless… this was all so much more than just her, she felt overwhelmed.

Neville knelt down in front of her. "Can you tell me what happened that night? Or, can I have the memory? As far as anyone else knows the last time Voldemort was seen was at Hogwart's, but the night your father was murdered was after the battle."

She searched his eyes. She couldn't voice any kind of feelings for this man, but she knew him. She knew that if he saw her memory of that night, it would hurt him in a way he might not ever let go of. She put both hands on either side of his face, gently cupping his cheeks.

"Why didn't Draco give you the memory? He was there as well."

"Mine isn't complete." he whispered, voice ragged. "I passed out if you recall, there's some missing parts."

She couldn't let Neville see it. She couldn't let him live what she had gone through. It would kill him. She stood, letting her hands fall. "Of course I'll help."

Neville stood and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you. I promise I won't let anyone else see it."

He thought he was protecting her. No, she was going to protect him. "Neville, I'm going to give it to Percy, who's going to give it to Harry. Not you."

"What?" He leaned back to look at her. "Are you kidding? You're mine, I won't let anyone else see it."

Her heart jumped at his declaration, one he had made before, but that had been in the privacy of her bed. Now he said it in front of a room full of people. "Neville, I can't let you see it. I won't. You're mine too."

"I can concede to Harry seeing it, but Pansy, I'm seeing it too. No one else." His tone was firm, but she had gotten used to it. And she wasn't a child anymore, she didn't just blindly follow orders.

"Neville, you will not be seeing my memory. End of story."

She felt the fight crash over them. "No, no end of story. If anyone is going to see it, it should be me."

"How do you figure that?" She took a step back and felt her hands find their way to her hips as she found a firm stance to stand in.

He looked bewildered at her, his nose scrunched up. "Because you… you're my girlfriend! Mine!"

"Yes! But that's exactly why I won't let you see it! It'll just hurt you!" She argued back. The last thing she would let him see is that memory. It would tear him to pieces. He couldn't protect her from something that had already happened to her.

"It'll be my burden to bear." He said after that.

Theo made a low whistling sound through his teeth. "I would be careful, mate. You're starting to piss her off and that's the last thing you want to do. Trust me."

She looked between all of them, from Theo's passive face, to Draco's anxiousness, to Percy's observing eyes, and finally to Neville. She felt anger rising inside of her at the sight of his glare. Like she had done something to him, like she was the problem. She was doing this for him.

"It's not… I am not a burden." She said quietly, feeling like an open wound.

It felt like a punch in the gut, the way she said that. "No that's not – that's not what I meant."

"I don't care what you meant," she back so quickly, he almost missed it. "You won't be seeing it. End. Of. Story." She turned and made quick steps to the kitchen.

"Pansy." Neville followed her, "You aren't a burden. You will never been a burden. That's not what I meant." He grabbed her hand.

"What are you going to do? Force the memory out of me? Oh wait, you can't. Oh well! I guess you won't be getting the memory then! I don't need you to hold my hand, I don't need you to take care of me, and I don't need you at all. I have been living alone for six years, feeding myself, supporting myself, and making my own decisions. Including this one, this is my memory and you have no right to it. PERCY! Take me to Harry. Right now. We're leaving." She didn't even know why she went into the kitchen, she felt heated and hurt. She pushed by Neville again back towards the living room.

"Pansy you're being unreasonable!" He attempted to grab her hand. "Of course I don't think that… this isn't what I meant at all! Stop and talk to me!"

"You're the one being unreasonable! Do you really think you can just order me around like this?" She yanked her hand out of his and stomped towards the door. "PERCY WE'RE LEAVING NOW."

Growling and feeling irrationally angry, he said, "You take orders just fine in bed."

He immediately knew he had gone too far, but the words had just come out before he had even thought about them. The sharp intake of her breath told him just how far wrong he had gone.

She turned so fast and a delicate hand slapped across his face, stinging far more than in a physical way, a look of hurt on her own face.

"How dare you bring that out in front of our friends? What is wrong with you!" She pushed at his chest.

He stepped back, shamed for the second time that night. "Pansy, I'm sorry... I -"

"I don't want to hear it." A caustic mix of embarrassment and fury filled her and she turned away from him, unable to face him. Draco was standing behind her and he grabbed her arms and pulled her out the front door. She kicked it shut behind her, imagining Neville's face being shut on by the thick wood.

"Calm down Pansy. It's okay." Draco said in soft tones, pulling her away from the house.

"Fuck you, don't tell me what to do Malfoy." She spit out. The words sounded so hateful to her, it actually hurt. Damn that Neville Longbottom. Bringing up their sex life in front of... this was about her protecting him. But she wasn't mad at Draco.

"Go ahead and let it all out. I make an excellent punching bag." He said dryly, stopping them a couple of yards away from the house and wrapping his thin arms around her. "I'm taking you to Harry's. Okay?"

She sniffed in her attempt not to cry. "I would never punch you."

"You just bitch slapped Neville. I'm rightfully afraid of you."

"I wouldn't." She repeated. "I would just throw things at you." She said after a long pause.

He laughed hollowly as he Apparated them both away.


	30. The Long Night III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SERIOUSLY SAD CHAPTER.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SERIOUSLY. REALLY SAD. TORTURE. ANGST. VIOLENCE. DEATH.

A/N: **Torture warning, angst warning, sadness is coming. **

A Riven Heart

Chapter 30

August 24th, 2006

Draco led Pansy through the weirdest doorway she had ever seen before, listening silently as he claimed Ginny Weasley was better at Quidditch than him – not to her though, no he spoke it to the room and it shimmered before her, turning from a dark and dreary nothingness to a warm and welcoming foyer. A homey set of white stairs were to her right and that's where Draco led her, taking her up to the second floor and into a room full of people.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry and Ginny, George and a very pregnant Angelina, Ron, and Hermione all sat around a sterile looking table while shelves surrounded the room. They all stopped talking when they noticed her red and splotchy face, their eyes dropping to her neck.

"Oh no, dear I'm so sorry about that man." Mrs. Weasley jumped up and enveloped Pansy in one of her signature hugs.

Everyone made encouraging noises and then broke out into loud conversation, picking it right back up.

"We thought he was dead!"

"We found his body at his warehouse, obviously it was staged. We just don't know why yet."

"Or why he acted so fast in coming after you."

"We were just planning on how to get into Malfoy Manor."

They thought she was upset because of Troy, which she was but not nearly as much as she was at Neville. She would keep it that way.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley. Thank you everyone. Listen, Harry… can we have a private word please?" Her voice betrayed nothing of what she was feeling.

"Of course." Harry said, standing up. "Follow me this way, my pensive is upstairs."

Before she could follow him out of the room, Draco grabbed a hold of her hand stopping her. "Listen, when Neville comes, and I promise you he will be here very soon, I will try to keep him back but… believe me when I say he's going to be in a mood. On top of all his freakish needs to keep you safe, he's going to be feeling really badly about what he said."

"Well he shouldn't have said it in front of you and Theo and Percy… that was private."

"I know, I agree. He just gets frustrated when he feels like he can't take care of you. Trust me I know. He did the same shit with that bint Hannah."

She scowled at the mention of Neville's ex and she definitely didn't need the comparison. "I don't what to hear about her right now, Malfoy."

"I realize. But listen, I only brought it up because he was nowhere near this bad with her. Not even half as bad. He's crazy about you, and he's letting it cloud his already poor decision making, and that's why he feels like he's the one who should see this memory. It's just another way for him to protect you."

He said nothing she didn't already know, but hearing him say it out loud felt like declaration. Draco didn't want her to be too mad at his partner, she didn't even want to be mad at him but she was so, so stressed out.

Those feelings aside, she nodded in understanding. She turned away, following Harry who had waited for her patiently at the base of another set of stairs. Harry was giving her an excellent excuse to deal with Neville later.

"I keep my pensive up here so none of the kids accidentally get into it." he said casually, leading her to another room. Closing the door behind her, he went to a dark wooden cabinet and opened the doors to reveal a small, golden pensive. Then he turned back to her, holding out a small vial.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked her as she gently grasped the vial in her hand.

"I don't know… but Harry, I know we aren't quite friends yet… I know there's a lot of animosity between us…"

"No, you and Neville belong together. No animosity, you're one of us now. Friends." He patted her hand gently. His blatant acceptance caught her off guard, but she knew it was just how he was. Neville's friends were loyal to a fault. They would have her back simply because she was Neville's.

"I guess people are right about you Harry Potter. They say you are a very kind man." She said, watching his ears turn red.

"Er…"

"They also say you're an honorable man."

"Errr…"

"Promise me you won't let Neville see this memory."

"Why?" he asked slowly.

"Because it'll only hurt him. This memory is only me suffering. I'm not even sure what it'll help you guys do." She fingered the vial in her hand, thinking about her father and about Neville.

"At the very least, it'll help us put together more of a time line. Every little bit helps. It's all I can think of right now before Malfoy goes storming off to his Manor and gets himself killed."

"I don't want that either. Just promise me. You won't let Neville get a hold of this memory."

"Alright…" he said slowly. "I promise."

She nodded, relief flooding her after being on edge for so long. She conjured up the desired memory, holding back tears, and instead of placing it in the vial, walked over to the pensive and used her wand to place the silver substance directly in. It swirled like a dark storm cloud, never settling.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

"I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" he stood next to her, looking down at the pensive. She just nodded. It was her memory, her responsibility.

He didn't delay, he took her hand and together they lowered their faces to the pensive.

They fell down together, hands clasped and landed in the wrecked vision that was her father's study so long ago. Dark, inviting woods stood splintered, shelves knocked over, books scattered across the floor, and blood. Blood everywhere. And she realized all too late that revisiting this memory was a bad idea.

Her father's broken voice came to her ears. "My... wife... my... my daughter... please..." She turned to her left and there she stood: younger, dull eyed, and the smallest of baby bumps showing through her thin robes. She hadn't had to hide herself those few days while she was home. Present Pansy's hands floated to her flat stomach, vaguely recalling the feel of life there, as small as it had been.

"You…" he started, looking from her past self and back to her slowly. "You were…"

"That's my father," she said to Harry who stood next to her with a look of shock on his face, gesturing to the older man on the floor, whose eyes focused and unfocused on her mother, Denise. "My mother there."

"Please..." Bernard begged again. He seemed even frailer than she remembered, like time had made him even smaller.

They seemed to notice the Dark Lord at the same time, his body half wispy, and half bloody and broken flesh. He looked venomous at her father's words, but he couldn't seem to say anything or fully control his jerky movements.

Past Pansy walked forward, looking terrified. She placed a shaking hand on Bernard's shoulder.

"Father? I'm right here..." her voice was timid with fear.

"I love... I love both of you... please... please remember..." Bernard gasped and his back arched upwards. The look on his face pure pain and… he knew he would die today. Present Pansy looked down at her dying father and stifled the cry that wanted to escape. She didn't remember that look, she wish she hadn't seen the knowledge on his face that his death had arrived.

"Love?!" The word echoed around them. The sound was excruciating, the voice that came from Voldemort like a hiss. "My Death Eaters don't love!"

Past Pansy looked around and present Pansy and Harry looked with her, seeing the Malfoy's clinging together and covering their ears. The sound coming from Voldemort was awful. Like nails on a chalk board… And they saw Voldemort raise a wand, rage somehow evident in his half face.

Lord Voldemort cast a spell, green flashing bright for a split second, and Lucius died throwing his body in front of his wife and son, his eyes looking on his family in his final moment. Narcissa cried out and clutched Draco tighter against her body. Another spell, a flash of green, and Yaxley fell into a heap, his eye's still opened in surprise.

"So that's what happened to Mr. Malfoy and Yaxley…" Harry said from beside her.

"You all think to DEFY me!? The Greatest Wizard to ever live? The one who defeated Dumbledore! I killed Harry Potter! I will rise again! They cannot kill me! I will never die. You cannot kill LORD VOLDEMORT!" His ghastly, deformed body moved towards Bernard; the solid side taking a step, the misty side floating like it was trying to keep up with its other half.

"Bernard, so faithful you were... where was my faithful servant when his master needed him most? Hiding like a coward in his home while his fellow friends died and his master defeated... no… no. I wasn't defeated… I am the master of DEATH.

"Bernard, I gave you a gift a long time ago. Do you remember what I gave to you? What I bestowed on you for your loyalty?"

Bernard made a pathetic sound as his face lost color, his body still shaking. "I gave it... I gave it to my daughter... Thought it was very valuable..." He focused on past Pansy with terror filled eyes. "She gave it to a friend when she was young... punished her... but never got it back... my lord..."

Voldemort turned his eyes back on past Pansy and he raised his wand, Bernard's Ashwood wand present Pansy realized, his arm disfigured. The look in his eyes... murder..."I will destroy you little girl, unless you tell me exactly who you gave that mirror to! I WILL LIVE ON."

"What mirror?" Harry asked present Pansy.

"I forgot that's what he kept asking me about." she told him. "I honestly don't know, I don't remember my father ever giving me a mirror before. And I don't remember giving one to someone else, either."

"Tell me LITTLE GIRL! Crucio!" Voldemort called out viciously.

Present Pansy and Harry watched as past Pansy crumbled to the ground, her body flush with pain, as she screamed and screamed and screamed.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort called again, giving no quarter, showing no mercy.

"Jesus..." Harry muttered under his breath next to her.

Present Pansy looked on with tears in her eyes, even knowing what had happened it was hard to look at. She looked to her parents, the pair looking on the scene with so much horror in their eyes.

"Are you ready to tell me what I want to know now? Do you need more persuading?" The half man, half thing that Voldemort was floated closer to past Pansy, pausing in his torture.

"My Lord... my Lord... she doesn't know anything, she's – she's a good pureblood, she would not disobey you..."

The Dark Lord turned again, this time to Bernard. "Legilimens!"

At the spell, Bernard's body convulsed. The Dark Lord made a sound of rage and flicked his wand, Bernard's body collapsing into the floor. "You hide the truth from me, Bernard! From your MASTER! You think to shield your memories from me?"

"Why didn't he just tell him?" Harry asked from beside her. "He should've just told him." She heard sadness in his voice.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort turned his wand back onto past Pansy, her body shaking and screaming and crying. "Legilimens!"

Present Pansy watched in horror as her past self was tortured and then as her mother raised her small wand and shouted at Voldemort, "Expelliarmus!"

As mad as he looked before, now he looked livid. He snatched the wand from her mother's grip.

"You... you insolent wretch! You dare turn your wand on me? Avada Kedavra!" Green flashed again, but with a sudden grace, Bernard pulled his wife down and blocked the spell with his body, which went limp and fell over Denise.

Present Pansy screamed out with past Pansy and Denise, clutching her hands to her chest, watching as the life left Bernard's eyes. Denise, trapped beneath the body of her husband, Pansy could see her mother's mind shattering.

Her father... her father was dead... this couldn't be... but it was and it had happened eight years ago… Her mind tried to remember that this wasn't currently happening, she couldn't do anything about this now… and her mind struggled to process it.

They watched as Voldemort hovered over past Pansy, gripping her chin with his fleshy hand. "I will kill her next, your pathetic excuse for a mother. Then I will hurt you over and over until you tell me what I need to know... you will not survive after I am through with you. I will get the truth from you. Legili-"

"PROTEGO!" Past Pansy yelled, her wand gripped in her hand suddenly.

"Whoa!" Harry yelled from next to her. "You… you summoned your wand!"

"I … I know I really only just realized I could do it recently." Present Pansy admitted, her voice weak sounding.

They watched as the force of the two spells knocked everyone back. Then they noticed Narcissa standing up, Bernard's wand clutched in her hands. The usually made up and presentable witch now looked at past Pansy. Together, the two women cried, "Avada Kedavera!" at the thing that was Voldemort.

There was a ear crushing bang, a flash of bright green light, and the fleshy part of the Dark Lord disintegrated into ash, the wispy smokey form with bright red eyes lingered before floating away quickly through the broken window and with it, the soul crushing sound.

"Holy fucking shit." Harry whispered under his breath. She felt the grief swelling up in a wave she knew she wouldn't be able to handle. Revisiting the memory had been a bad idea and tears began freely falling from her eyes. She had to get out of here. Pansy turned to take Harry's hand, so they could leave the pensive, when she felt another hand on her shoulder.

She turned so fast and saw Neville, standing behind her, his eyes filled with tears.


	31. The Long Night IV

A Riven Heart

Chapter 31

August 24th, 2006

She pounded her fists on his chest, a blinding and desperate rage of frustration coming out. Her body felt stabbed, sapped of all strength. She hit him over and over again, kicking out, screaming, and hitting his chest with everything she had.

She told him not to.

She needed him to trust her.

He didn't listen.

Why? Why didn't he listen?

These thoughts crushed her until she could barely stand, his hands holding up her shaking frame.

Now he had seen her at her lowest point. He had witnessed Voldemort torturing her, her body breaking, her father dying… gods why didn't he listen. Why?

Neville wrapped his arms around her as she released all of her anger on him. He could take a beating, he could take her rage, but he couldn't stand what had happened to her. They had ended up at the bottom of the second floor stair case. He dragged her there after Harry had taken them out of the pensive. And she was screaming so loudly, it cut him right to his soul. This night had already been hard enough on her.

He knew he was crying too but he didn't care. He was so fucking mad at himself. Mad that he hadn't realized she needed help at Hogwart's, mad that she had been hurt just like his parents, and mad that she thought he didn't need to see the memory.

She had been pregnant and hurt and frail. Seeing her past self looking so dull and unhealthy had nearly killed him. Why didn't he understand that she needed help? They were children, of course they needed help. They all needed help.

He wondered what it had done to this girl to lose a child. What she had gone through to become the quiet, yet determined woman she was today.

She screamed that he was a bastard who didn't listen. She called him foul names and begged him to listen to her. The noise attracted everyone else in the house, people running from all different rooms until they were surrounded. Harry walked down the stairs, ignoring everyone, and past them to go down the other set of stairs to the first floor. He returned moments later with a bottle of firewhiskey, drinking from the bottle himself before handing it to Neville.

Pansy finally stopped hitting him and instead collapsed into his chest, sobbing hysterically, her fists still making feeble attempts to hit him.

"What the fuck happened?" Theo asked, kneeling down next to them, brushing hair out of Pansy's face. Seeing the tears and snot streaming down her face, he reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief, gently wiping away her tears.

"I didn't realize…" Harry started, rubbing his hands over his face. "She went with me in the pensive. I had no idea…"

Theo swore again, standing up and getting into Harry's face. "Why the fuck would you let her go with you!?"

Harry rubbed his face again. "I didn't realize okay!? I wouldn't have let her if I had known, okay!? Fuck! It was… that was the most horrible thing I've seen him do... Voldemort I mean… who tortures a pregnant woman?"

He said the words just as Draco emerged from another room with Hermione right behind him. "What the fuck is going on?" he said. His eyes landed on Neville. "When did you get here? Who is pregnant?"

"You mean… Pansy was pregnant… back then? And Voldemort tortured her?" Ginny asked, looking from Harry to Pansy on the ground. Ginny looked horrified.

"With the Cruciatus. Why the fuck did she want to see the memory with me?" Harry spat back.

"Pansy was pregnant?" Draco asked, also looking down at Pansy. Hermione put a hand to her mouth.

"I read something once… about a woman who was about half way through her pregnancy, a dark wizard used the Cruciatus Curse on her and the fetus aborted itself." Hermione said in horror.

The room grew silent save Pansy's loud sobbing. Neville looked desperate, eyes rimmed with tears, rocking Pansy back and forth, and attempting to calm her any way he could. He mumbled how sorry he was into her hair, how he wished he could change things, but he doubt she heard him.

"I was coming up the stairs when I saw Pansy and Harry heading up to the third floor, so I followed them into the pensive." he said softly. "That's why it's been so long since we've seen him, Harry. Mrs. Malfoy and Pansy killed his body. They killed his body… That's why…"

"I know… I saw… fuck."Harry kicked the wall. "That was not what I was expecting."

"What is he talking about Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Pansy and Mrs. Malfoy, they used the Killing Curse on Voldemort." he said to gasps from the room. "We saw it in Pansy's memory. That's why he's been quiet all these years, most likely rebuilding his body. I bet he couldn't use my blood again… He was damaged after the Battle but after what happened at the Parkinson Manor, he was just a damaged soul again. There's another Horcrux, just one. I'm sure of it. He was asking Pansy about a mirror… I bet that's it." He turned and looked down at the hysterical girl in Neville's arms.

"I'm so sorry Neville."

Neville just shook his head, trying his best to calm Pansy down. "Pansy," he said softly into her hair. "Pansy, drink some of this."

He held the bottle of firewhiskey up. She grabbed the bottle a little roughly, but brought the tip to her mouth and took several large gulps. The bottle was considerably lighter after that.

She hiccoughed once. Focus, focus you can get passed this.

"There you go. I'm so sorry." he said again, trying to soothe with his tone and keep his own tears back.

"You bastard." she sneered at him, wiping her mouth. "You bastard, Neville Longbottom!"

"I told you not to piss her off, mate." Theo said, giving him a sad and sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Pansy."

But she didn't listen, standing up instead, pushing away from him, and trying so hard to fight her way through this grief. She stumbled from the drink. The weight of the world was crushing her, she thought. She had to get away. It felt like an overwhelming blanket on her heart, constricting the organ, keeping her from drawing breath. Her limps felt heavier and heavier.

"Mopsus Potion… brew in a dimly lit room… silver cauldron only… gently muddle hibiscus petals…"

"What is she doing?"

"She's reciting potion recipes to help calm herself… it's her system… I've seen her do it many times." Theo said, positioning himself directly in front of Pansy and putting his hands on her shoulders. She didn't even notice.

"Finely chop 8 slivers of knotgrass until mulched, collect the oil and save for later…"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to make that potion? That's… beyond Master level." Hermione said as they all watched on.

"She's better than any Potion Master you've met. Those bigoted idiots at the Potion's Association won't let her into the program though." Theo spat meanly. "Pansy, calm down love you're okay."

Theo's face appeared in her vision, then Draco's behind him. She felt Neville's warm, solid presence behind her, as mad as she was at him, the feeling helped steady her. He was apologizing over and over to her. Theo put a hand on her face and the familiar feeling of his soft skin further settled her.

"You're okay, Pansy. You're fine, you're safe darling." his voice said.

"I'm so sorry Pansy." the gravely tone from Neville, wrapped around her like a blanket. "Pansy I have you, I'm so sorry and I have you and you're safe, I promise my love."

Love?

Draco put a hand on her shoulder, Neville's hands on her back, Theo's hand on her face. She was surrounded by people who loved her, who weren't dead or suffering. Suffering like she had, dead like her father was, lost like her mother was.

Fuck, fuck FUCK!

She looked around, gulping air as her vision cleared. Harry was sitting on the stairs looking like he swallowed a bucket of slugs. Ginny and Hermione were looking at her with worried eyes. Mrs. Weasley was standing there with a cup of coffee. The smell wrapped around her and calmed her even further. She leaned against Neville again, his long arms wrapping around her immediately.

He held her for a long while as she gasped for breath and tried her damnedest to get out of the chaos that was her anguish. It twisted inside her, making it impossible to get the air she needed. She felt dizzy, like she was floating and any second she would drop.

You're safe and I love you.

She was completely losing it, she underestimated her ability to withstand the memory. Why had she thought it would be a good idea to see it again?

Just breathe, I have you. You're not alone. You're safe and I love you.

Was it really so important to her that Neville not see it, that she went into the pensive just to keep him away? He saw it anyways and now he knew… he saw everything.

Pansy, shh. Shh, I love you and you're so safe. I will always keep you safe.

Finally, finally she came to herself, finding her center. Neville's voice reached her ears and drowned everything else out.

"Pansy, I love you so much and you're safe I promise." He said, rocking her back and forth in a calming motion. She turned her face into his neck and took a deep breath.

Lemongrass and earth and salt from the tears that had fallen from his face to his neck.

His familiar scent further calmed her as she took a deep, shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry, I lost it…" she said voice raspy with tears. "I thought I could handle it, I'm sorry Harry."

The dark haired man stood up and looked directly at her. "Don't ever apologize. Ever. If anyone gives you any shit, you send them to me and I will take care of them."

"I…" she stopped, feeling flabbergasted. His tone could've cut.

"As far as I'm concerned, you did the world a favor when you used the Killing Curse on Voldemort, thank you. Now we're going to finish it, okay?"

He was so sure, his voice steady and firm. This man knew what he was doing, so she nodded.

Theo took a step back, standing next to Percy. Mrs. Weasley approached her with the hot mug in her hands. "Here you are dear, Neville told me you like a lot of cream. Drink up now."

She reached out with shaking hands and gripped the mug, the warmth filling her fingers immediately. It was almost too hot, but she didn't let go. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

Harry let out a breath. "Voldemort was asking her about a mirror. I'm sure that's what we are looking for."

"What exactly is a Horcrux?" Pansy asked after drinking deeply from the mug. The feeling of hot coffee after all the whiskey she drank was strange, but it didn't stop her from drinking. Her soul felt cold and she desperately wanted nothing more than to be warm again.

Hermione squeaked a bit and the room shuffled. "Dark magic." The brunette said. "It's how Voldemort has been able to stay alive without a body. He's put bits of his soul on other items. We spent 7th year looking for and destroying most of the Horcruxes he's created. But when we battled at the school, we obviously missed one."

"We've been slowly searching for it all these years. We just had no idea where to look and he disappeared so we could he couldn't lead us to it." Harry chimed in. "There hasn't been much activity."

"We won't stop looking until we've found it, destroyed it, and finished off Voldemort for good." Ron said.

"Damn straight." Harry gave a nod to his friends. "So, if there is anything you can think of… any mirror at all, small or large or anything…"

She tried to remember her father ever giving her a mirror… But after seeing the memory again, it seemed to Pansy like her father had just been distracting Voldemort. "I'm sorry, Harry. I really don't remember my father ever giving me a … mirror… oh…"

It was true that her father had never given her a mirror… but she had one… one her mother gave her when she was a child. One that was broken and didn't show a reflection when you looked in it…

"Oh?" Harry prompted.

"Oh… I think… I think I have what you're looking for!" She said, suddenly feeling like an idiot she didn't think of the damn thing. It had always been precious to her, given to her by her mother even if it didn't work. She kept it in her drawer of keepsakes.

That's how five Weasley's, Harry and Ginny, Hermione and Draco, Theo, Neville and Pansy found themselves all crowded into her bedroom, George and Percy standing in the stairway. They all watched her kneel down in front of her dresser, opening the bottom drawer and pushing trinkets and jewelry aside. There, at the bottom was the mirror.

She picked it up gingerly. The mirror itself was small, just large enough to show her face if she looked into it, if it had worked and showed a reflection at all. The handle was expensive silver and had delicate flowers carved into it. She held it up to her face and stared into the mirror. She couldn't see herself, only the wall and the bathroom door behind her. She couldn't see any others reflection either.

"I've had it since I was a small girl, my mother Denise gave it to me but it's never worked, I've never been able to see my reflection in it." She held it out to Harry. "Here, you're the Chosen One."

Harry looked uncomfortable at the words, but took the mirror anyways. He held it up to his face.

"I don't see anything either…" he said with disappointment. "Do you remember exactly when your mum gave it to you?"

Pansy turned and sat on the edge of her unmade bed. She tried to think past the fresh grief she felt for her father, tried to think past the tiny throbbing that was starting to come back to her throat and shoulder. She thought to when she was a tiny child, happy with the world and her dresses and her dolls.

Her grandfather clock downstairs chimed midnight, but she ignored it and tried to remember.

They all stood in front of her, crowding her bedroom. At any other time she would have found it funny… Weasley's and the Golden Trio, Draco and Theo and… Neville… all in her bedroom, looking at her, waiting for her to give them the magic answer. Maybe it wasn't so funny…

"I'm sorry Harry… when she gave me the mirror all Mother said was she wanted me to have it. And I've had it ever since. It's never done anything weird." Pansy shook her head, feeling like she let him down. "I would suggest asking Denise, but … you don't understand how badly she's been affected by the death of my father… she's really not all there anymore… er… Oh no…"

"What?" Neville asked, sitting down next to her. "What happened?"

"The day after our first date," began Pansy. "She came over… she said there were men in her house… she was trying to warn me… but she went back to normal after that, I just assumed she was having an episode." Her breath caught again, her body trembling as she tried to remember the last time she had spoken to her mother, or seen her. "She isn't safe. We have to get her right now!"

"Okay!" Harry stood a bit taller and everyone immediately turned to look at him. "Malfoy. Ron. We'll go get her right now. Mr. Weasley?" His voice commanded.

"I'll come with you, son."

Harry nodded. "Hermione, take the mirror. Try to figure out if it's the Horcrux. Ginny…"

"I'll go with Hermione." She said gently. "Be careful please."

"I'll signal the office. Neville. Percy. You guys stay with Pansy. She's a target. George, can you stay? Or do you need to get back to Angelina?"

"Mum can go to Angelina. I'll stay for a bit, help keep watch." George responded. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

Theo said, "I'm staying with her." He sat next to Pansy and wrapped her in a one armed hug.

Harry nodded. "I figured. Okay, we're going to see if we can get Mrs. Parkinson. Then we'll figure out the Horcrux, then we'll go get Mrs. Malfoy. Sound good?"

Pansy could only nod as everyone moved around her swiftly, their assignments handed out.

"We aren't staying here." Neville said to Pansy in a soft voice. "Pansy, Troy just attacked you here only a few hours ago. Let me take you to my apartment."

"Okay."


	32. The Long Night V

A Riven Heart

Chapter 32

August 25th, 2006 (Very Early in the Morning)

Neville's apartment was new and snuggled deep in the heart of London. He still had packed boxes piled up in most corners, taking up room and obstructing his path as he guided Pansy into the space. He had moved here shortly after he and Hannah had officially split up, but never got around to unpacking the non essentials. And when he had started seeing Pansy, he had been further distracted and ended up spending the night at her house more often than not.

She looked around with mild interest, having never stepped foot here before. It was spacious, but bare. A lone couch and a low coffee table in the main room opened up to a somewhat furnished kitchen. Neville led her through a door on the opposite wall into his bedroom which actually looked lived-in in a way the rest of the apartment didn't. The bed was big and unmade and Pansy thought it looked perfect for Neville with its dark wooden headboard and solid posts.

She let out a hiccough. It was another embarrassing trait that she carried over from childhood, hiccoughing incessantly after a hard cry. Theo and George made noises about getting some food going, keeping watch, putting up wards. She didn't listen.

Neville guided her to sit on the edge of the bed, kneeling down in front of her and began unlacing her tennis shoes. She watched his face, as she so often did. Tonight he looked tired and drained, just like she felt. His eyes looked distant and sad though, and she hated it. She had caused that. She had brought that on.

She had been the cause of so much of his pain, and yet… she had a feeling this man truly loved her.

But she could barely focus on any of her feelings before it flitted away, leaving only a turmoil of emptiness. She had cried away most everything else: grief, desperation, anguish, need. Mostly she felt weary and itchy, like a wound that had scabbed over. She wanted to pick at it and pick at it until it stopped hurting and scarred.

But Neville stayed close to her, reminding her of what it felt like to be warm and safe. After he untied each pair of laces, he gently loosened the grip of the shoes and removed them oh-so-carefully from her feet, pushing them neatly together under the bed. He peeled off each of her socks with a gentleness she so rarely saw in him. He took a moment to rub the soles of each foot. He worked the ankles with the same slow gentleness, making his way up her calves. He rubbed them through the dark fabric of her pants. When he went over the knees and spread out over the outside of her thighs, he hit a bruised spot on her right thigh making her suck in a breath of surprise.

His eyes shot to her and his hands stilled immediately.

"It's okay." She croaked quietly, her voice hoarse from the events of the night. "Just a sore spot."

He nodded, swallowing hard, and then continued his exploration of her body. The deep cold inside her shrunk by minuscule intervals when his fingers brushed over the edges of her hips. He came to the front of her shirt and, starting at the bottom, began unbuttoning slowly upwards. It took forever.

When every button was undone, he used the palms of his hands to spread the fabric apart, pushing it off her shoulders until it fell to the mattress behind her. His tired eyes took in every cut, made by the broken lotion bottles from the earlier altercation with Troy. They spread out over both sides of her ribs and stomach. It took a long time for him to find each one.

He used a single, calloused finger to touch each of them. It didn't hurt.

She allowed him to inventory her hurts, because she knew he was in shock. She knew what this night had done to her… she couldn't imagine how he felt. Because he considered himself her protector and she knew, she knew without a doubt that he would blame himself for not being able to stop all the pain that had happened to her, even when that pain happened eight long years ago.

You're safe and I love you. Just breathe, I have you.

You're not alone. I will always keep you safe.

I love you.

Words he had spoken to her. Words he had promised her in front of all his family and friends. She could hear them more clearly now than she could before, when she was buried in misery. Sitting on Neville's bed, tucked away safely from the world, she could hear the words better than ever.

I love you.

And she loved him back. They had so much to work through, she knew. She was terrified for her mother, she worried about his past relationship with Hannah, Voldemort and Death Eater's and the shop and Troy, and now all his friends new she was pregnant when Voldemort had tortured her and…

She stopped herself from falling into the chaos again. The worry and fear came up around her like a blanket of darkness. So she focused solely on the thread of love she felt for Neville, as new and crazy and different as it felt to her, she threw everything she had into that thread.

It worked. Everything else fell away as the thread between them pulsed with life.

She hiccoughed loudly twice then she said, "I love you too." She expected it to sound better, but as her voice was still damaged and paired with how tired she was, it came out sounding rough.

He looked surprised, jerking his head up to look at her. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I… I heard you."

"Everything I've been through… Oh Neville... but it's your heart that's shattered Neville." She saw it clearly now.

He shook his head like he wanted to protest, but she knew better. "Neville… no one has ever loved you back the way you loved them. You put everything into it, you changed yourself to fit them, to make it easier for them to love you and that isn't how love is supposed to work."

Her voice was raspy and crackling with every word, but she knew he listened. His face went slack and he took a shuttering breath as he admitted to himself it was true.

She slowly knelt down wearing only a bra and her pants, putting her knees to the hardwood floors beneath her. She tugged his tee shirt up, over his head. Then, running her aching fingertips over each one of his many scars, she said, "I thought for so long that when I finally met someone, fell in love with someone, he would be gentle and small and lacking any ability what so ever to hurt me... how wrong could I have been? I thought because of what had been done to me, what I had done to myself, had made me different... but I am not what other people have made me. And you helped me realize that..." She looked him right in the eye, putting her hands on either side of his face.

"I have never been loved so thoroughly, like every moment of my life is important to someone else. And if I didn't love you back," she brushed one palm over his chest, resting it directly over his heart, feeling the hard breaths he was taking through his shirt. "Your heart wouldn't take it."

He blinked several times, eyes growing redder. But he stayed silent.

"But I do love you."

The words hung between them. She still had one hand cupping his face, the other over his heart, over his scars, hoping it would show him just how much she meant what she said. Because she did, so much she did.

"I dream about the way you smell. I dream about your hands and about your gardens. I love waking up next to you and I love when you don't shave and the way you rub your chin when you're thinking about something… I love you exactly the way you are and wouldn't change a single thing about you. And Neville, you protect me just by being."

He buried his head into her neck and cried, wrapping his arms around her and the combined weight pulled them to the floor. The maelstrom of emotion between them ripped at their hearts and magic, as they lay on the ground and cried. They could physically feel their magic colliding. It hurt. It felt amazing. It ached and it caressed. It was unlike anything either one of them had ever experienced.

But it also felt like a hot shower after a long day in the garden, a cleansing water falling over them and taking away the hurts, the grief, the uncertainty. His body completely wrapped around hers and they rode out the wave together.

When she felt their magic calm down and his cries stopped, she still felt a lingering thread between them, like their magic had connected permanently.

She couldn't help but ask if he felt it too.

"I do…" his voice was ragged but he looked younger, they felt better. They had survived the storm and it made them better for it. "What is that?"

"I don't know… our magic has always had so much chemistry though, hasn't it?" she asked. "I think it's… connected…"

"Yes," he brushed his thumb over the palm of her hand. "Like what we can do with it…"

"What do you think it means?"

Keeping his gaze on their connected fingers and hands, he gently rubbed his thumb in soothing circles. "I think it means you belong to me. And I belong to you."

She sniffed. "Oh Neville. You are good at the romance, aren't you?"

He showed the tiniest of smiles. "Don't ever doubt it, Pansy."

"I won't. Are we okay?"

"Yes. Let's not ever fight again though." he kissed the tip of her nose and then kissed her lips gently.

She couldn't help but smile. "I don't want to fight ever again either."

"You know they say Gryffindor's can be very reckless. They tend to speak without thinking."

She gave him a chiding, but playful look. "Do they say that?"

"Yes." he nodded. "They absolutely say that."

"Well you can't use that excuse every time you decide to air out all of our bedroom activities to our friends."

"I won't. I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven. I'm sorry I freaked out."

"No need to be sorry about that, but you're forgiven."

His arms were wrapped around her and he squeezed once before bracing himself on his knees and then standing up, bringing her with him.

"Neville!"

"You're lighter than a feather, Pansy. Besides, Auror training included having to run up steep hills with sacks of dirt. I can carry you anywhere."

"Are you telling me that Draco Malfoy was able to do that? Because his arms are twigs and I just wouldn't believe you."

He laughed. "I don't know, I didn't train with him. But you know he had a lot of opposition in the program, no one wanted a Death Eater working in the office. I can't imagine he was able to surpass it unless he did it all."

He carried her gently to the other side of the room and into the bathroom, setting her feet down by the tub. "I'll get you some clothes to wear and then we can get some food."

She watched as he left the room and she stretched her arms over her head.

She felt like she had been run over by a higgogriff and then put through an emotional wringer. She could feel that small thread of magic connecting to Neville even as he moved about in the next room and she wondered if it would ever break. She hoped not. It felt like him, solid and earthy and unyielding.

She leaned over the sink and turned the faucet on. On the counter was a bottle of aftershave. Pansy splashed herself with cold water, wiping her face dry, and then patted some of the aftershave under her jaw.

Neville waked back into the bathroom carrying a long sleeved tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants and something about the way he walked in reminded her of another time he walked into a room she was in... the shop...

"Here, I don't have anything else that would fit you… what's the matter?"

"Neville… the dust. The Forget Me Dust…" she said referring to the small bag of dark purple dust he had found in her shop.

He stopped. "What about it? Where is it?"

"I left it in the shop... when I cleaned out everything… it was gone… someone had to have taken it. I forgot about it until just now."

"Shit… when Heather was attacked?"

"Oh… Neville… think about it… they were looking for me… found the dust, Heather must've gotten in the way… they took the dust and might've even used it on Troy, might've just been a good opportunity, but he had the warehouse to smuggle Death Eaters in and his sister had just died so he would've been vulnerable to the dust…"

"I told them Troy would never become a Death Eater…"

"Neville… have you heard from Hannah?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know, the title is about our Neville, not our Pansy! Hehe. Also I have always called Neville/Pansy pairing Nevinsy. Anyone else?


	33. The Long Night VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A VIOLENCE warning!!!!

A Riven Heart

Chapter 33

August 25th, 2006 (Very early in the morning)

Neville, George, and Percy Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, walking through the front door one by one. It had taken a lot of convincing to make Pansy stay in his apartment, safe, but she had finally nodded her head and pursed her lips as she threatened him to be careful.

The inside of the inn was dimly lit and almost completely silent, save for a lone mop making its way across the floor in lazy circles. Neville used his hand to indicate they needed to go upstairs, and the two other men followed him behind the bar and through a doorway that led to a dark stairway. A stairway Neville was more than familiar with. They led to the private apartment he and Hannah had shared for a brief few months, months he regretted. Now he hoped like hell he wouldn't regret coming here tonight.

They took the stairs silently and wands at the ready, coming up to the top landing and another door. He had considered what to do if the door was locked and weighed the option of sending her a Patronus, but his bear was huge and noticeable and they were trying to be stealthy.

But he didn't have to worry about that anymore because the door to the apartment was slightly ajar. The pit of his stomach churned. He didn't love Hannah. After Pansy, he knew he had never truly loved before. And though he could barely stand to be in the same room with his ex, he never wanted her hurt…

With one hand on his Cherry Wand, he pushed the door open slowly, peeking into the familiar room.

Nothing.

He didn't see a thing out of place so he gingerly stepped into the room, George and Percy following him. They spread out and began looking around. Neville headed for the bedroom nudging the partially opened door with his foot and saw…

"Shit, in here!" he rushed over to the lump of bloody body that sat unmoving by the bed he used to share with Hannah. She resembled the bloody corpse that Heather had been, a nightmare of flesh and cuts and dark magic.

But…

He knelt down next to her and trained his eye on her chest, and the small rising movement it barely made. She was breathing. He put a finger to her cheek and her eyes blinked open.

"I knew you'd come." she said with the barest of whispers. "Trap…"

"Neville!"

He stood up and turned quickly, in time to see three masked figures coming from the other room, wands drawn. "Shit! Get down!" he yelled, dodging out of the way of a vicious stinging hex. He knocked his full weight into the tall set of drawers next to him, coming down badly on one knee. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Percy corner one of the masked men, while George took a slicing hex to the cheek.

Relying on his honed reflexes, he whipped his wand up in time for a nonverbal shield, which bounced another hex at the already wobbling drawers causing the whole thing to tip forwards… right on top of Hannah.

He didn't stop to think. He threw his whole body over Hannah's taking the full force of the falling furniture. He felt as one of the drawers fell forward and banged against the back of his head, the rest pushing his body down, his breath being knocked out of him, the pain exploding across his back and neck.

Darkness threatened to take over, his vision tunneling to a pinprick. Breathing was a hundred times harder, but he braced his body, and therefore the set of drawers on top of him, in order to keep Hannah from being crushed.

He groaned and his arms quivered but he held on, even knowing something was wrong with his lung.

He heard George scream out and then a loud thumb like a body falling.

Fucking fuck get up Neville. Get up! Get up!

The thought started in his voice, but morphed into something else. Pansy's voice. Because he was hers as much as she was his and if he didn't get up now…

A loud booming sound rattled his teeth and he knew he was out of time; he gathered all his strength to push the drawers to the side, using only his back. It collapsed over to the side and he rolled over, moaning and fighting to keep consciousness.

He felt around for his wand, head spinning, but couldn't find the Cherry wand. Next to him, Hannah shifted with a groan and he couldn't help but look over.

There. His wand. Right next to Hannah's arm. He grabbed it and with grim determination brought himself to his knees.

George was lying on the floor, not moving, but next to him lay one of the Death Eater's, dead, his throat torn out. Percy was dueling the other two, using his wand in quick movements to shield himself as the Death Eater's backed him into a corner.

Fuck.

A wave of nausea had Neville falling forward on his hands and knees, his hearing going dull. Blood ran down from the back of his head, falling into his eyes, and dripping to the floor beneath him like a waterfall... He looked up again, trying not to vomit, and jerked his wand out, watching as Percy fell to the ground. The last thing he heard was Pansy screaming his name as his vision finally blacked out.

oOoOoOo

It had taken all of five seconds to convince Theo to come with her, neither of them very good at listening when Gryffindor's try to order them around. So after tucking her jeans into her boots and rolling up the sleeves of the giant, black fleece she took from Neville's closet, she and Theo Apparated hand in hand to the Leaky. Walking into the main room, she noticed a mop running into the bar counter over and over again, as if stuck on a loop, and every time it connected with the counter, it made the saddest plopping sound.

Then she heard a scream.

"Which way? Which way?" she asked, tugging on Theo's hand.

His eyes darted around the room and hard thump sounded right above them.

"Shit, Theo!"

"This way." he yanked her behind the bar and the two of them stumbled, ungracefully up the stairs behind a door they found.

She came through another door at the stop of the stairs in time to see a spell hit a Death Eater, immobilizing him, and his body falling to the ground next to another Death Eater, and yet another Death Eater moving his wand in preparation to cast at Percy. She raised her hand, palm up, her wand came to her grip instantly and a nonverbal shield charm formed around Percy, reflecting everything else but sending the man to the ground. She turned and saw Neville on his hands and knees, his wand pointing out, and his face, a face covered in blood, going slack as he fell to the ground.

"Neville!" She cried desperately, the bond between them felt thinner as he fell...

The first Death Eater shook off the immobilizing spell and began getting up, his wand shooting out. She blocked it, then, "Stupefy!" His body fell once again, this time staying down.

She turned her wand onto the last Death Eater, the Willow wand in her hand feeling excited and somehow energized at the fight, slashing down with it as he raised his own. She dodged out of the way, but the greenish bolt hit Theo square in the chest. He gasped, clutching at his chest as he fell to the ground. As she watched Theo fall, she felt the connection between her and Neville dim even more, feeling thinner than it had since it first popped into being earlier. She gasped, realizing the connection was warmth and as it thinned, she grew colder. Theo's body crashed and then he was still...

"Noo!" she cried, feeling tears well up in her eyes, the wand in her hand pulsed, the excited energy she felt before morphing into something else… something fueled by the anguish she felt. And in that split second she understood with a ringing clarity that her wand was connected to her and her magic in a way it never had been in school, in a way most witches and wizards weren't connected to their wand. The wand chooses the witch, but this witch's magic had chosen the wand.

Now that wand was pissed.

She straightened up, whipping her wand or maybe the wand went and she simply followed, and went at the Death Eater even harder. She bombarded the Death Eater with spell after spell and soon he was backed into a corner, focusing entirely on deflecting her magic, but she was gaining, the Death Eater's wandwork was sloppy and unorganized and she began to predict his next movements.

Breathing hard, she knocked the wand from his hand and then ran forward, feeling anger pulse up through her arm as she raised her fist and punched the Death Eater through his mask and on his face. The mask disappeared in a cloud of magic and the smarmy face of Samuel McGee looked at her. He took the full force of the punch in the nose, letting out a pathetic whimper. She brought up her wand again, swirling it expertly and ropes shot from the end of the wand and tied up the man.

Pansy sniffed and looked around. Now that she had won the fight, panic began to set in. What did she do? Who did she contact? Theo's body lay across the floor, dead? She couldn't see him breathing. George and Percy looked knocked out surrounded by other unconscious Death Eater's. McGee was tied up and out of commission. Hannah lay bloody and cut up the way Heather had been… Pansy didn't know if the witch was alive or not… and next to her…

She let out a strangled cry. "What do I do?!"

And the connection between them drew her as nothing else could. She fell to her knees next to Neville, the back of his head matted with so much dark red blood, blood that covered his neck and face. How could she get a message for help? What could she do? His back looked broken.

"Gods what do I do? Somebody help!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, helplessness set in…

But… the connection.

The connection was there. That alone filled her with a desperate kind of hope. Hope that she could use…

Neville had tried to teach her how to summon a Patronus, but neither of them thought she would need to use it so soon.

But the connection…

The connection.

She thought of nothing else the smell of lemongrass and Theo's expensive cologne, thought of simmering potions in cauldrons and chaotic rows of plants, the lush and enticing image of the Charmed Lisianthus.

She thought of Neville and how his love for her filled her so absolutely… she pushed any other emotion away and focused solely on Neville and the smell of earth.

She clung to that hope the connection brought her and used the words she and Neville had practiced. The connection pulsed wildly.

With a burst, a silvery crane with big eyes and a regal presence came from her wand and strutted around in lazy circles.

"Yes! Go to Harry Potter, hurry! I'm at the leaky! Tell him to hurry!"

The crane seemed overjoyed at its mission and flew away immediately. She sank down again, praying it would work. As she looked down at Neville's broken body, she saw his labored breathing, and she cursed herself for not bothering to learn any healing spells. She felt beyond useless as his blood continued to spread.

"Neville please don't die." she whispered, pushing some of the matted hair out of his face. Theo, George, Percy… even Hannah… she couldn't save any of them…

But Neville… he couldn't die. He just couldn't, not now that they had found each other.

She thought she felt a thump come through the connection, but a moment later Neville let out a quivering breath and then his body stilled.


	34. The Long Night VII

A Riven Heart

Chapter 34

August 25, 2006 (Early Morning)

Harry Potter gently led a sleepy, but safe, Denise Parkinson through the back door of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Hermione were sitting around the kitchen table looking over the mirror, books piled around them and the familiar sound of Hermione's mumbling brought him back to his years in school.

"Mrs. Weasley," he started, but she was already up and rushing over to them.

Ron and Draco walked in behind him, shoving at each other.

"Mum! He's pushing at me."

"Mrs. Weasley, he started it!"

"Honestly, you two are grown!" she chided, fussing around Denise.

When Harry, Ron, Draco, and Mr. Weasley had shown up at the Parkinson Manor, Denise had been waiting patiently on the front stoop, with an overnight bag and a sleepy smile on her face.

"Who are you waiting for?" he had asked as Ron and Draco canvassed the property.

She had stood up and patted him on the cheek, turned to Mr. Weasley and hugged him. "You of course. Take me to Molly."

He had assumed she meant Mrs. Weasley, but she wouldn't answer any more of his questions. That's how they ended up at the Burrow.

Now he turned to Pansy's mother.

"Molly?" the woman asked in a small voice, her dark hair pulled up out of her hair.

"Dany…" Mrs. Weasley put her hands on the other woman's shoulders, offering comfort. "Are you okay?"

"Molly, my flower is in trouble. I know it. I can feel her but I can't see her." Denise said, sitting herself down at the table and picking up the mirror. "Trouble trouble trouble."

Harry raised his eyebrows and said, "Pansy said she was a little… off."

Mrs. Weasley sighed and patted the woman on the shoulder before walking over to her husband and sinking into his opened arms. "We were friends once, you know… a lifetime ago. Let me get you a cup of tea dear."

While Mrs. Weasley set up for tea, Denise fiddled with the mirror, rocking it back and forth. "Trouble trouble trouble." she said again.

Harry sat at the table. "What's been going on here? Did you figure out if the mirror is a Horcurx?"

"We figured out it wasn't a Horcrux. But there's something odd about it." Hermione answered him. "Something..."

"Honestly haven't met many normal mirrors since I found out I was a wizard."

"And this one isn't either, in fact I don't think it's a mirror at all. I think it's an illusion to reflect but the magic is weak, or has weakened and can no longer show a person's reflection because a person is too complex."

"You're right of course." said Denise. Everyone turned to look at her. "Look."

And she turned the mirror around to face them. In it they could see people fighting in a small bedroom. Death Eaters and…

"Oh my Gods, that's George… and Percy." Ginny said leaning forward to look into the small mirror, which was no longer a mirror.

"Neville… he's hurt!" Hermione said, pointing.

"Fuck… that's Hannah right there!"

They all stood up and crowded around the mirror, Harry feeling like he was watching a television show his cousin used to obsess over, one about cops.

"Look there's Pansy and Theo… where are they?"

They watched as one by one, their friends fell down. Neville crushed by a dresser in an attempt to save Hannah. George blocking a stunning spell with his body for his brother. Percy being knocked over by a shield spell. Theo hit with some kind of nonverbal spell that looked horrifyingly close to The Killing Curse...and Pansy...

"Where the fuck are they? Is this happening right now, or is this the future?"

"Malfoy, do you know where they are?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't say for sure… it's not Neville's place or Pansy's…

"What about Theo's?" he countered.

"No he lives in his old family's manor, that room is way too small."

"Wow… look at Pansy, she summoned her wand to her hand!" Ron said with a hint of admiration.

"… Gods should've made her an Auror, look at that. She's a whip with that wand."

"Malfoy, find out where they are. Now."

"I'm on it." Draco took out his wand and walked out of the room with quick steps.

"Why would they leave Neville's apartment?"

"Holy Hufflepuff, that girl is good!"

"What the fuck! That's McGee! He's a Death Eater?!"

"She's disabled him!"

"Shh listen!" Hermione said with a violent hand gesture.

They all went silent, used to listening to Hermione's orders. They watched helplessly as Pansy, the last one standing, tied up McGee and then started shaking.

"What do I do?! Gods what do I do!? Somebody help!"

It was the most desperate thing any of them had ever heard.

"Fuck, where are they!?"

"Look! She summoned a Patronus…"

"Neville said he thought her Patronus was going to be an owl… they were working on it together."

"Huh… that's a crane… I wonder why it changed?"

Draco walked back in. "I've alerted the D.L.M.E. but we still don't know where to go."

"Yes! Go to Harry Potter, hurry! I'm at the leaky! Tell him to hurry!"

"We still don't know if this happening now or if this is the future…"

"What if it's the past?"

"I refuse to believe that… we have to go the Leaky, now."

And that's when a silvery crane burst through wall.

"I told you, my flower is in danger." Denise said in a sing song voice, looking up to Harry, her eye twitching.

"Go. Go now!" Harry commanded.

They thundered out of the room and began Apparating.

"Hermione you stay here with Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Parksinon and the mirror. Don't let anyone in that isn't safe!" Harry said, following the rest. With a loud pop, he Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

The scene he rushed in to… Mr. Weasley broke off and rushed to Percy, the closest to him. Ginny rushed past him to George. Ron began grouping the Death Eaters together, giving McGee a good kick.

"You moron! What do you think you were doing?" he grabbed the man's left arm and pushed up the black sleeve, revealing a newly inked Dark Mark.

To the other side of him, Draco shook his wand and levitated Theo's body.

"Get the injured to St. Mungo's." Harry commanded as he took quick steps around the bed and to where he could hear Pansy sobbing.

The witch had thrown herself across Neville's body, her hair shielding them from view.

"Pansy. Move, let me help him." he said, bending down and patting her shoulder. "C'mon Pansy, help me help them. He needs you c'mon."

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, eyes red and smudgy. She came up on her feet, wobbling.

"It's okay Pansy."

She didn't believe him.

But under Harry's quick commands, Pansy ended up at St. Mungo's in a chair by Neville's bed, stuffing all her desperation into a small hole, and watching Healer after Healer come through the small ward that was set up for Neville, George, Percy, Hannah, and Theo.

Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley bustled between their sons, Percy pushing them away every time. "It's just a bump on the head, mother."

Ginny sat by George's bed, holding the man's hand as a Healer wrapped up his head. His wife Angelina sitting close, holding his other hand and rubbing the swell of her belly.

Pansy watched as the Healers all crowded around Theo's bed, casting spells, mumbling between each other, never giving her any answers.

And the hole grew bigger. Her connection to Neville thinned almost painfully. Another Healer walked up to Neville's bed, waving her wand. "Just running some tests." she informed them. "'I'll be back in a bit."

An hour later, Ginny pulled her chair next to hers, grabbing her hand. "He's my best friend you know?"

"He's a lucky man." Pansy responded, looking at the subject of their conversation. The healers had cleaned the blood from his head and hair but she could still see it, could still feel it on her fingertips.

"Very." Ginny said after a second. Pansy looked up to meet the red head's eyes.

"Why the hell are you so nice to me?" she couldn't help but ask.

Ginny held eye contact between them. "Why do you think?" It was a challenge.

Pansy sniffed. "I have no idea, I should be in a hole in the ground after what I did to you. To him."

Her words tasted like ash. Hurt, Neville was always hurt.

Ginny let go of her hand and stood up. "You really believe that? You think that would be better? For him? Or for you?"

Hermione and Draco walked over, the witch putting a comforting hand on Pansy's shoulder. "What's going on?"

"I have little sympathy for people who doubt themselves, especially when it comes to my friends." Ginny snapped. "He loves you, that's why."

"I don't need –"

"How about this," Ginny dug around in her small purse and pulled out a compact. "We're nice to you because you belong to Neville. Don't believe that? Look in a mirror."

And she shoved the small compact into Pansy's hands before turning around and storming away.

"You Gryffindor's are so volatile!" Pansy snapped, sinking back into her chair with a ragged breath.

"What was that all about?" Draco asked, guiding Hermione to sit in the chair Ginny had just left.

"I have no fucking idea."

"Why did she want you to look in a mirror?" Hermione wondered out loud, turning her eyes onto Pansy. "Oh…"

Pansy jerked her head up at the sound of that 'Oh'. "What?"

Hermione jumped up and stuck her inquisitive stare right in Pansy's face. "Would you look at that…"

Draco followed her lead and bent down to look.

"What are you two doing?!" Pansy snapped, trying to back away. Her question caught the attention of everyone else in the room. Everyone not restricted to a bed gathered around her: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Harry, Angelina, Draco and Hermione.

"What's going on?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"There's nothing wrong with her. Look!"

"Look where?"

"Sweet Circe, Gryffindor's are so nosy!" Pansy finally stood up and backed away from the group. She felt like a bug… "What are you looking at?!" She shouted at them, feeling fatigued and annoyed.

"I'm not a Gryffindor." one of the Healers said, the one closest to them. She recognized the face of Susan Bones, waving her wand over Neville again. "And don't worry, it's just a physical influence of your soul mate bond."

"What?"

"Soul mates?"

"What bond?"

"It's one of the readings I got from the earlier tests on Mr. Longbottom." Susan explained. "It's new, but there's definitely a soul mate bond."

"Look in the mirror! Your eyes!" Hermione said, her excitement seeming so out of place in this dark room, after this long horrible night.

"Oi what's going on?" George cried from his bed.

Another group of Healers walked in, ignoring them all and walking over to Theo's bed again. It broke some of the tension, but they all looked at her with curiosity she couldn't help but catch. They all knew of her unique eye color, why…

She unfolded the compact and brought it to her face. She looked horrible, skin pale and tired and sagging. But she wasn't a vain person and looked past what this night had done to her face. There was still a brownish black bruise on her neck, though the cream from earlier had lessened it to some degree. Her lips were chapped and pale. And her violet colored eyes shone beneath her lashes… except… they weren't totally violet anymore.

Jagged edges of deep blue, the blue of the Atlantic shattered out from her pupils, cutting though the violet creating a myriad kaleidoscope of purples and blues.

She dropped the compact.

The bond was a soul mate bond, of course.

Of course.

That's why she could feel him, feel his magic. Bonds usually settle in after years, years and years of being together… but earlier they had both rode the waves of an emotional storm so violent, it nearly broke them into pieces.

But they had come out of it holding on to each others hearts.

… Though the bond was so painfully, so horribly thin now…

She brought down both her fists on the mattress Neville laid on.

"WAKE UP!" she cried. Please, please, please Neville. Just wake up.

"WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!" she was as desperate as she sounded and she didn't care. If Neville died... she would never ever be the same again, a literal piece of her heart and soul and magic would be gone forever...

"Pansy, Ms. Parkinson, please Neville is going to be okay, we're positive he just needs time to rest. All of his injuries were physical, no magic. Mostly broken bones…"

She wanted to scream and break things. She felt more than angry, more than grief. She was above that now. She pounded her fists down on Neville's mattress again letting out a slew of swear words that made Mrs. Weasley gasp. If his injuries were only physical, why wasn't he waking up? If it was only broken bones, there's a potion for that. She could make it herself.

Yet he slept.

The two people she loved most in this forsaken world were lying in hospital beds, unresponsive. If she lost one… if she lost both of them… The night was crashing down on her: Troy, the memory, Neville, the Inn…

Pansy didn't care, she pushed through the group and the Healers with every intention of storming out of the hospital and breaking everything she came into contact with… but her eyes landed on Theo… A bandaged up Percy was sitting on the other side, holding his hand.

"And you!" she shrieked suddenly, no control over her emotions. "Wake up!"

She shoved at Theo's barely breathing chest, making the Healers all cry out. "Ms. Parkinson!"

She screamed. "I will pour every bit of your expensive firewhiskey down the drain. Do you hear me Theo!? I will break every expensive decanter you have, smash every last of your expensive crystal! Theo! That poster of what's-his-name-chaser shirtless on the Tornado's you keep in your closet? I will shred it to pieces! All your Italian shoes? Theo! THEO!"

People tried to grab her, but she shrugged off their hands and continued shoving at Theo.

"Theodore Nott, I will put holes in every single one of your designer couches if you don't wake up right this second!" she shrieked so loudly it even hurt her own ears.

…

A moan.

From Theo.

Pansy fell back, someone catching her, wrapping their arms around her as she gasped for breath.

But they all heard it. Another moan.

"P-Percy…"

Activity burst to life.

Percy leaned forward, gripping Theo's hand even harder. "I'm here, Theodore… I'm here."

"Please…" Theo started, pausing to moan badly. " Please keep that wretched witch away from my couches…" he coughed, his eyes finally blinking open.

The words made Pansy sob, the long arms around her gripping tighter. Whoever it was didn't smell of lemongrass. But she had no strength to get up, so she sobbed into a chest that smelled like pinewood and ink.

"Pansy, drink this. C'mon now you need to get some rest."

Before she could argue, a potion was tipped into her mouth and the taste of a dreamless sleep flooded through her. "No, I need to stay awake… what if he wakes up…"

But sleep was already clouding her vision, her body exhausted from the night. She thought she felt a pulse in the soul mate bond, but then darkness overtook her and she thought no more.


	35. She Hates Compliments

A Riven Heart

Chapter 35

August 26th, 2006 (Early Afternoon)

She didn't dream. She floated in blissful darkness far away from everything and everyone and it was fine. She was everything and nothing and it was just fine. Until the end.

It was just as she had been dreaming all these past few weeks. Strange and yet familiar. Like she had always known this magic, yet never used it.

She fell through the darkness, through a silvery opening that was big enough to encompass her body, and fell down and down watching the gap of the opening fading away slowly. When she landed on a soft lump of padded darkness, she didn't bounce instead the world turned and she was now standing. In front of her the darkness split, like a curtain parting before her. She walked through and the darkness melted off her, light bathing her in gentle rays.

She had been in this room once before, a long time ago as a child. But not as herself, she was someone else... but her eyes were the same. She didn't remember, but she knew. She had been there before in a room of white walls and nothing else. Except for that.

In the center stood a vivid weapon stand, the brown of the wood planks standing out against the white. She walked closer and the air was thick, as if she was wading through water.

As she got closer, the weapon rack felt bigger and bigger and soon, a shield appeared.

It was giant. A tower shield.

Made of goblin gold, it narrowed into a sharp point at the bottom and arrowed at the top where a giant ruby shimmered in the rays of light.

It was magnificent in every way. Sturdy and hard and handsome.

She reached out a hand to stroke the metal, but a fuzzy voice somehow snapped at her.

"Who is that? What is she doing in bed with my grandson?"

She watched the shield, wondering if the voice came from it or somewhere else, but the room was empty. She turned, the door was gone. She was trapped.

Panic struck at her like a snake uncoiling in attack.

"Don't tell me to calm down, explain yourself."

She ran to the wall that she had come through, it was hard. She pounded against it.

"You are my grandson, do not use that tone of voice with me young man."

Trapped, she was trapped - Gods help her - and now her vision was going blurry and she didn't –

The smell of lemongrass surrounded her, and she knew that was important. It cut through the panic and then...

"Grams, just sit down. I had entire set of drawers fall on me. When Pansy wakes up, you can meet her. But she isn't going anywhere." Her name. She wasn't the other person, she was her. Pansy. She was Pansy.

Her eyes were open, but she opened them again and the white room with the shield was gone. The weird dream fading almost instantly. Instead she was in another room, white also, but this room was dim and crowded with people.

Friends. She looked up and met blue eyes, eyes with faintest of purple streaks through them.

"Neville?"

Instant clarity.

"Hi pretty eyes."

"Gods, Neville!" she buried her face into his neck, clutching at his chest, remembering everything that happened. "Do you – any idea – I was so scared."

He shushed her, gently running his hands through her hair, comforting her. She was curled up in the hospital bed with him. "I'm here, I'm okay. No magic damage, just a set of drawers deciding to pick a fight with me."

She sat up, looking him over. He looked… fine. Just tired. "What hurts? Where's Theo?"

"Over here, darling." She turned to look and the crowd parted. Percy was still sitting in the chair next to him, but the man looked like he had a good night's sleep. George and Angelina were gone, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley remained, lingering around with Harry and Ginny. Hermione and Draco were gone as well.

"How long did I sleep?"

"Long. It's been about 18 hours. Neville just woke up a bit ago himself." Harry said from the seat next to Neville's bed. Neville squeezed her.

She let out a shuddering breath. "Theodore Nott you're going to give me premature gray hair!"

"Christ, someone shut her up already." said a voice from behind the curtain farthest away.

"Ms. Abbott I have told you…" this from a steel gray haired lady wearing prominent witch's robes and a fur hat. The witch walked over, jerking the curtain back.

"I have already asked to be moved rooms, thank you very much." Hannah said, sitting up in her own hospital bed, arms crossed defiantly.

Susan Bones walked in at that moment, wearing Healer's robes. "I'm here for checkups." She said in an upbeat voice, walking over the Theo first. She waved her wand around a bit and checked a few things before asking Theo to sit up.

"Uughh no more Susan, it hurts." Theo said dramatically, but did as the witch asked taking Percy's offered hand of help.

"I know, poor baby. I requested they move you to the children's ward but it was denied. I told them age was relative but, well you know how they are." Susan teased back at him making Pansy think the two knew each other, probably from Theo's work with the Hospital. She looked in his mouth and eyes before stepping back. "I don't see any lingering effects from the curse that hit you, we still aren't sure what hit you to begin with but the magic has worked its way out of your system. Just get some rest. I'll be back."

"Cheeky witch." But Theo was already leaning back on his pillow.

Next Susan walked over to Hannah. "You're looking much better."

"I'm starting to feel better." Hannah said back in a nicer voice that Pansy had ever heard from her.

"It's a good thing Neville and his friends showed up, any longer and I believe you would've bled out completely." Susan said, waving her wand again.

"I knew he would come." Hannah said, shooting a nasty glare at Pansy.

Neville shifted, raising his eyebrows. "It was Pansy you know. She's the one who told me you might be in danger."

"Yep, without her we wouldn't have had a clue." Percy said.

Hannah was silent as she digested that, then she looked like she was going to be sick. Susan just grinned.

"Well isn't that wonderful. You got her help just in time, Ms. Parkinson. Yes, I'm definitely reading healthy blood levels. I'd say we'll keep you over night and get you some rest and fluids, and then you can go in the morning."

The petite Healer walked over to Neville's bed next. "Ms. Parkinson, I'll do you first."

"Excuse me?" Pansy said, confused.

"Just a checkup, hon." And she waved her wand again. "Ahh much better. After you first went to sleep I was worried about your readings, but everything is looking better. Sleep is a cure all sometimes. The bond is fully functioning I see."

A red flush rose to her cheeks and Neville leaned in to kiss those cheeks, one at a time, with a grin on his face.

"I was quite impressed you know." Susan began. "I was telling the other Healers that I thought Mr. Nott just needed some encouragement, and there you were… not really encouraging as I had in mind, but it worked."

Pansy looked over to Theo, whose face was impassive, but she saw the hint of emotion that lay underneath his aristocratic features.

"Now for you Mr. Longbottom. No need to get up Pansy, you can stay with him." Susan smiled sweetly at her. "Okay, yes. Your back is fully healed, head is all patched up… Your bond is functioning just fine, but we already knew that… blood levels much better. Looking like a full recovery, just as Ms. Abbott needs rest, you do too. Lots of rest. And water."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but what bond are you talking about?" Hannah asked from her bed.

Susan turned, tucking her wand into her robes. "Their soul mate bond of course."

Harry and Ginny stifled laughs and Theo smirked as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley embraced. But Hannah looked like she had eaten slugs.

"And I believe your private room is available now, if you're ready?" Susan asked with the biggest, most fake smile Pansy had ever seen.

"Please." was all Hannah said.

As Healer Susan helped Hannah out of the room, the older witch turned back towards Neville and Pansy.

"Finally. Ms. Parkinson, it is nice to finally meet the witch that has been stealing all of my grandson's time away."

Pansy had the absurd feeling she was being chided. "I won't apologize for that, though I am sorry we haven't met sooner Mrs. Longbottom."

The witch turned her nose up but gave just the tiniest of smiles. "Very well, I expect you both for dinner soon. Neville, full recovery, I expected nothing less. Good job." and she left without another word.

"Well…" Pansy said. "I thought McGonagall was stern."

The entire room laughed, and it felt good. "She was here earlier." Harry said referring to their old Transfiguration professor.

"She was very surprised to see you curled up to one of her favorite students." Ginny grinned.

"Dear Salazar I am so happy I was unconscious." Pansy cupped Neville's cheek and gave him a small smile. It felt good to laugh a bit, and as she had that thought, the bond between her and Neville pulsed with love. It was only then she realized it felt wide open and strong, stronger than before.

"I know…" Neville said, reading her thoughts.

She shook her head. "You stay here… and drink all of your water."

"Yes Ma'am."

She hopped out of the bed and walked over to Theo's bed, needing to see he was alright up close.

"Oh no, don't you come over here like you didn't threaten my precious couches." Theo said with a mock glare.

"Well now you know what happens if you decide to get hurt again." Pansy said dryly, leaning over and crushing her best friend in a hug.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." he said into her hair, hugging her back just as hard. They stayed like that for a long time.

Finally she stood up and made her way back to Neville's bed, clutching his hand. "So you got my Patronus?" she asked, looking at Harry. "I guess I should fill you in on what happened."

Harry shifted, uncrossing his legs. "I did get your Patronus, but I don't need to be filled in."

"Pansy you summoned a Patronus?" Neville asked, tugging her hand, a grin lighting up his face.

"It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done." she said to him. And it had been. Fighting her own hopelessness. "I'm so glad you both showed up, I was useless."

"Useless?" Ginny's face turned dark again. "Pansy we saw everything that happened."

"You did? How?" she asked, bewildered.

"The mirror. Your mother did something to it." Harry responded.

She paused, the word mirror triggering some lost memory but it faded just as quickly... then, "My… oh my Gods, is Denise okay? I completely forgot."

Harry held up a hand. "She's fine. She's at the Burrow, she's safe."

She released a breath. "So you saw everything that happened?"

"Yes… we saw you disable two Death Eaters by yourself and then send for help…"

"Not very useless, I'd say." Ginny said dryly, folding her arms.

"Saved everyone in that room." Mr. Weasley said. "Including our sons."

"Yes, thank you so much Pansy, dear… we can't ever thank you enough." Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.

Pansy wanted to reject all of them, she had been a mess… "I led Theo there, he's hurt because of me…"

"Don't drag me through your parade of guilt, Pansy." Theo said from the other bed.

She snapped at him. "This isn't about that, you don't know what it was like to be the only one standing."

"But I do," Harry started. "And I know how helpless it feels, but you did a brilliant job of it. I'd induct you into the Auror Program right this second if you wanted." Harry said to her, giving her a crooked grin.

Her cheeks flushed for the second time that day so she just groaned and buried herself in Neville's bed again. "Please tell them I hate being complimented."

"She hates being complimented guys." Neville said, wrapping his arms around his girl. "But she deserves it so keep it coming."

She groaned again. "I would hit you if you weren't already injured, Neville Longbottom!"


	36. So Much Damage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of violence in this one.

A Riven Heart

Chapter 36

August 27th, 2006

"Pansy," Harry said to her, gently shaking her awake. "Sorry to wake you."

She mumbled sleepily, the last shades of that strange dream falling away, her body still curled up in the protective space of Neville's arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong… but I did bring your mother here to the hospital and she's been asking for you."

She turned over to look into bright emerald eyes. "Denise is here? You got her to come?"

He shrugged in an easy way. "It wasn't that hard... she listens to me."

Well that's unexpected...

She grunted. "You're lucky. So lucky." She sat up and stretched, her mind feeling clearer after another night of good rest. She looked down at Neville, who had been sleeping heavily the past two days, healing all the damage that had been inflicted on his body. She kissed his cheek and whispered against his skin.

"Rest for now love, I'll be back." She felt what she only describe as a kiss come down through their bond, his love for her evident even while he slept.

She slipped her feet into the flats she had by the bed and stood up, following Harry out of the small and private room she and Neville had been moved to the day before. The rest had helped. Knowing Neville and Theo were okay helped more. Now she felt hopeful. Denise was going to get the help she needed. Finally.

"Ginny and Hermione are still working on the mirror." Harry said, leading her up two flights of stairs. "Hermione's sure there's something up with it… she getting that crazy look in her eyes when she's on to something so…"

When they emerged into a private ward on the 4th floor, she was ambushed by a patient with short brown hair and a pale face.

The woman, smiling, patted her cheeks over and over after crushing her in a quick hug.

"Oh… er hello…" she said awkwardly.

With a final pat, the woman turned and ran away to the other side of the room just as quickly as she showed up.

She turned to Harry, who was giving her one of his crooked smiles. "Okay, well my mother definitely belongs here."

He let out a laugh and beckoned her to follow him to the end of the ward. As a joke it had worked, making Harry laugh. But it was an old hurt for Pansy. Denise was curled up comfortably on a bed of pillows and she was humming peacefully.

"Wow…" she whispered to Harry. "She looks better already."

"I still don't know what she did to that mirror, Pansy. If you could get anything out of her about it…" he rubbed the back of his head, making his hair stick up.

"How's Draco?" she asked.

"Miserable. They know we – you, actually – took out those Death Eaters and captured McGee, they are pissed. And he hasn't heard a word from his mum since that first night."

"Gods, I wish this was over." she said. She didn't see the emotion that passed over Harry's face.

Denise finally looked up, "My flower."

Pansy smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Harry stepped back to give them some privacy, and yet she knew he was guarding her. And didn't that just get her heart strings going? "So you'll listen to the bloody Chosen One but you won't listen to your own daughter?"

Denise giggled. "Well he's special, dear. You're not."

Rolling her eyes Pansy crossed her arms under her chest. "Thanks mother."

"But I had to be here, because you were going to be here." Denise rambled off, fidgeting with the covers.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, because it's time for me to go, my love." Denise mirrored Pansy's position but reached out, pulling on Pansy's arms, and gripping their hands together.

"What do you mean? You just got here." Pansy steeled herself, knowing that Denise was going through one part of her craziness. At least this wasn't the violent one. And no way she was allowing Denise to leave.

Denise looked better, she sounded better but Pansy still couldn't shake the strange sensation she always got when she was around Denise, a feeling that she was going to cause her pain… maybe even death.

"I mean, it's time for me to go now love." and she reached forward, placing a hand on Pansy's cheek as a mother would do to a child. An instant of clarity in her bright blue eyes. "You've been the light of my life, now it's time for you to see."

And with a gentle movement, Denise reached behind her and brought out a plain glass cup...

Pansy raised her eyebrows. This craziness knew no boundaries apparently.

"Where did you get that?" Beyond confused as she was usually around Denise.

"Time for you to see." Denise repeated and brought the glass down hard on her knee, shattering it into pieces.

"Mother!"

Pansy stood up with a jolt as Harry rushed forward to help. But it was too late. Denise grabbed a large, jagged piece of glass and swiped at Pansy, leaving a gash on her forearm several inches deep and running the entire length of her forearm... and with the same piece plunged the sharp end directly into her own chest right above her heart.

Breath rushed from her chest, an empty feeling hollowing out a piece for itself there.

"Nooooo!"

The sound was torn from her, she felt her body fall forward, her hand ripping the sharp piece of glass from her mother's body and throwing it behind her. She felt her hands press into the hole with desperation, trying to hold pressure over the wound, but blood gushed out like a bloated river and stained her hands and fingertips.

Then she felt her mother take a final breath before going still, blood seeping out from her open heart wound.

Healers ran forward, pushing her aside and attempted to revive Denise, but it was too late. Pansy knew it with the same feeling she had other the past several weeks... that odd sensation of magic that felt so alien to her...

With a shock that ran up her spine, she realized her mother was dead. She was an orphan... her mother was dead. Dead. Killed herself...

Dead.

The shock sizzled and turned into something else, something heavy and magic and sharp and hurting. It spread down her arm and bee-lined for the cut in her forearm, the one Denise had made. When it met the edge of the cut, she screamed out, in pain, in shock, in grief, and felt her body begin to convulse. A second or an eternity passed.

She felt herself rise, then a snap like she was disconnected from her body and she stood separate from everything that was happening.

She looked down at her own body, lying on the ground, twitching. Harry turned looking for her, confusion written all over his face. When his eyes landed on her body, he dropped immediately to his knees beside her and begun shaking her.

"Pansy?" he shouted, but the sound was not Harry's voice.

She turned, feeling like nothing more than air. Her mother stood before her, long blue-black hair cascading down her back in gentle, healthy curls, younger by at least twenty years, wearing the sweet smile Pansy hadn't seen since she was a little girl, as if Pansy were looking into a mirror. Except the eyes. Denise had the bright ice blue eyes of Pansy's great-grandmother.

"Mother?"

"My girl… I have… so much to tell you… I have watched you this whole time, I'm so proud of you. I couldn't ever tell you because… well…" and the airy vision that was her mother turned to the body she used to be. "I wasn't myself. I haven't been myself in a long time, my girl."

"What is this? Am I dead?" She felt panic, but it felt far away. Her body on the ground still convulsing, Harry waved over some Healers, but she couldn't hear them.

"No my dear girl, I'm sorry it had to be done like this. Your grandmother did the same to me, you know? She cut me with a knife and then killed herself. I was so scared. She wasn't anything like I was in the end… but she was bad enough… you get your eyes from her you know..."

"What… Mother I'm very confused…"

"I know you are… It's the eye my dear, The Sight. I would never have passed it on to you willingly, but… the mirror… you can only work it if you have The Sight. It was brilliant of him, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, even he couldn't get to that thing he put in the mirror. It was completely safe, even from himself. Unlike you, he doesn't have The Sight.

"He wanted to kill your grandmother, but she had already passed on the gift. He didn't know about me, otherwise he would have probably killed me long ago… but when he killed your father… my mind shattered… and I was trapped… everything was… not right. But I held on to the memory of you, barely." Denise made a motion like she wanted to touch Pansy's face, her ghostly eyes shimmering with light Pansy didn't understand.

"Now you have my gift my darling girl. You can go into that mirror and destroy that thing and then Harry Potter can kill You-Know-Who for good. I've seen it. And your soul mate bond will protect you from the madness that comes with this gift. I promise you baby girl, it took a long time for me to finally get Neville Longbottom and you together but you'll be safe now."

Pansy tried to process everything but it was too much, her physical body was pulling her with a growing tug, her dominant thought being that she shouldn't be away from her body for too long…

"But… Mother…" She fought it.

"I know, don't worry. You will remember and hopefully you'll remember me like this and not like…" she waved a soft hand towards her physical body.

Pansy looked between them then down at her own body which was twitching less and less, Harry shaking her and yelling out, but she couldn't hear him. Not where she was. But the tug grew stronger.

"We're running out of time, my flower." Denise said with a sad smile. "I'm so proud of you, you have filled my heart and my life with joy since the moment you came into this world and I regret that you've lived with nothing but grief and pain. But I know you'll be okay, you will know that joy. I've seen it. Just… hold on to that, alright? I love you, my darling girl. I love you."

"Wait… mother…" but as Denise repeated those last three words to her, the sound got quieter and quieter. Her body faded and then Pansy snapped back into her own body with a painful jolt in her heart.

Harry was shaking her roughly, his voice crushing down on her ears. "Pansy!"

"Stop." her teeth rattled in her head but he finally stopped. His hand slid down her arm and came into contact with bare skin.

She tensed and her vision split. Out of one eye she saw Harry, kneeling before her with a concerned face, and behind him the body of her mother with frantic Healers surrounding them.

They were still trying to revive Denise, but she was long gone now.

Out of the other eye she saw the dark drawing room in Malfoy Manor as if she were standing there. All around her stood people, bloody, bruised, battle worn people. In the middle, Voldemort stood with a distorted body and a wand pointed at Harry Potter. Harry was covered in blood, but tall and standing his ground, his own wand pointed at the disturbing sight of Voldemort's body. Voldemort laughed, but Harry laughed too, though it sounded hollow. He nodded to his left and Draco Malfoy walked into the room, throwing down a golden shield on the floor. The shield was cut down the middle, as if it had been stabbed.

The sight of the shield made Voldemort scream and cast the Killing Curse at Harry. But Harry was already moving his wand. He disarmed Voldemort and his body shattered into pieces. Instead of celebrating, Harry sank to his knees and that's when she saw the bodies in the corner.

Ginny.

Theo.

Percy.

Mrs. Malfoy.

Mr. Weasley.

Dead.

Her body physically relaxed and her split vision cleared.

But her mind was screaming.


	37. Big Bruises

A Riven Heart

Chapter 37

August 27th, 2006

How she made it back to Neville's room she didn't know. She had the vague thought that Harry was there, helping her. She remembered briefly running into several Healer's and big thunderous booms coming from the floors below. She remembered Ron running by telling Harry in a rushed voice that Death Eater's were attempting to get into the Hospital. But mostly she remembered falling into Neville's arms and how it felt exactly.

Like a veil of hushed tranquility.

His arms banded around her, and it blocked out the bombardment of clatter, of confusion.

One moment, she was drowning under the buzz of noise the hospital created, Healers running around, patients calling for help, Harry swearing a storm, and Denise's parting words.

I love you my darling girl...

The Sight. You have The Sight.

Such words. Could it be true? The past few weeks, she had been having those strange dreams. They hadn't felt like dreams, but what else could they have been? Preparation for… the sight? Her? A Seer? No, it couldn't be.

And yet, that vision she had had.

Dead bodies. Her friends dead, Theo… dead… Voldemort Dead…

Not worth it. Nothing would ever been worth that.

But as soon as Neville's arms wrapped around her, the buzz of it all disappeared, her head springing with such clarity, it felt like fresh air.

"Oh Gods, Neville."

"What the fuck is happening? Harry? What happened to your arm? Pansy?"

He attempted to bring her forearm into better light but she held onto him even harder, "No, don't let go. Don't let go."

Harry snapped the privacy curtain around them. "Neville, a Healer is going to come in here and look at Pansy and then you two are leaving, get somewhere safe and stay there until I say otherwise."

There was another huge boom from somewhere below them. "Death Eater's are trying to get into the building I think... but we're holding them off. I need to go."

"What the fuck is going on?" he asked again but Harry was already leaving, knowing Neville would follow his orders.

Neville had barely sat Pansy down on the bed when the curtain opened again and Healer Susan marched in.

"You lot sure are making things interesting around here, aren't you?" she commented in a no nonsense way. Her red hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was wearing fresh yellow robes. "Okay, let me see this arm, dear."

Her gentle hand reached forward with purpose and grasped Pansy's arm with her fingers, baring the bleeding wound Denise had made there. Pansy flinched, waiting for the double vision that came when Harry had touched her skin to skin, but nothing happened this time.

She sighed, unbelievably relieved. Her mind could barely process the past twenty minutes and whenever she thought about it hard enough, she just felt light headed and woozy.

"This is very deep," Susan said, waving her wand and clearing away the blood that gushed from the wound. "I brought a blood replenishing potion, take it and I'll go grab something to keep it from scarring. Then I can heal it fully."

Pansy shook her head. "I want the scar. Just heal it."

Neville looked confused, rubbing his hand on her shoulder. "Pansy?"

"Trust me… my mother… died to give me this… I need it…" she said sadly. She couldn't explain it, but she knew she would need the physical reminder of what her mother had gone through, and done.

"That doesn't…" he looked from her to the arm. "Denise is dead?"

"I know it doesn't make sense, but just heal it Susan."

Susan didn't even blink as she handed Pansy the blood replenishing potion and angled her arm into better light, waving her wand intricately over the wound, channeling Healing magic into the open gash.

Pansy felt a warm, fizzy bubbling feeling spread across her arm and watched as the wound knitted itself together. Susan was still channeling when Ron opened the curtain.

"Hey, Harry wants you to go to Neville's apartment. I'm supposed to Guard you until you both get there safely."

Neville narrowed his eyes. "I can protect her just fine."

"Don't give me shit, Nev. You were hurt bad just two days ago."

But their argument faded to silence when Susan gripped her arm tighter, turned it to get a better angle. Pansy's vision split again, still rough and nausea inducing. It was the same as last time, out of one eye she could see Susan in front of her, focusing on her wand work as she healed the long, open wound. Ron and Neville were off slightly to the side, arguing about her. Though their voices were muffled.

Out of her left eye however, she saw a crowded Diagon Alley at night. Music drifted along the streets and she saw Susan Bones, lips puckered up with a shimmering pink gloss, eyes rimmed in smoky black and lashes thick with mascara and her cherry red hair loose and wild down her back. She wore a slim, short, strapless black dress that slit up on both sides of her thighs and heels that made her freckled legs look ten miles long. Ron Weasley walked up next to her, looking clean and fresh in a nice suit, his hair brushed back. He leaned in and kissed the hell out of Susan, her left hand coming up to the back of his neck and the giant shining diamond wedding ring flashed brilliantly. Pansy didn't only see it, but felt the sexual heat and intimate love between the two as if she were involved.

Pansy shook herself, forcing herself back to the present. It felt like flexing an unused muscle, but she let instincts guide her because she didn't want to feel that kind of heat, so unlike the kind between her and Neville. It was a sense of invasion, knowing the fiery heat between the two... even if it hadn't happened yet...

"Susan." she said, amid Neville and Ron's bickering.

"Ms. Parkinson?" she mumbled, finishing up the Healing the spell. The wound sizzled once more before settling.

"Call me Pansy. You've met my good friend Ron Weasley right?" Pansy asked, her curiosity and the vision she had pushing her into action.

Susan raised her eyebrows in surprise at her question. "Of course, in school. It's been a few years though."

Ron and Neville still paid them no mind, arguing over Pansy's safety. Ron shot out a fist and hit Neville in the ribs, where Pansy knew he had a terrible bruise from the fight at the Leaky. "See, you're still hurt. I'm escorting you. Get over it."

As Neville leaned over, moaning in pain, Pansy gestured to Ron. "Ron! You're single right? You remember Susan Bones from school?"

Ron turned to face the two witches, his face flushing red. "Er – hey Susan…"

Susan looked between Pansy and Ron. "You just punched my Patient."

"Oh – er – I'm sorry… just… proving a point, ya know?"

Something light and airy settled in Pansy's chest, the feeling tasting like her gift stretching its unused muscles again. She took it to mean she had done something right.

Except Susan didn't look very happy for the introduction. "Well next time you feel the need to prove a point, I'll have to ask you to leave the premises. This is a Hospital."

"Oh no, I wouldn't just randomly hurt your patients…"

"Glad to hear it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work I need to be doing." She snapped and turned her back on Ron's surprised eyes. "Ms. Parkinson, Pansy. I'm sorry to hear about your mum." she said to Pansy, though in a much nicer voice.

"Thank you." She still had no idea how to process exactly what her mother had told her and how she had done it, but there was only thing Pansy did know. Denise was finally at peace.

"What about your mum?" Neville asked, his face still twisted with pain.

Pansy just shook her head. "I'll tell you in a minute."

"I had something else I wanted to talk to you about, in private, about some of the results I got from your initial testing, but with everything going on I think it could wait a bit. Might I owl you sometime later in the week?"

Nodding she said, "Yes of course."

Neville moaned again, clutching his rib. "Ok, ready to go Pansy?" he bit out.

Susan turned and immediately lifted up his tee shirt. "Let me see this first. This bruise just doesn't want to go away does it? Hmm."

Pansy stepped forward to look at it, black and yellowish on the edges it spanned across his lower left ribs. "I have Bruise Removal Cream back at the house."

"Harry told me to take you to Neville's apartment though." Ron said.

Susan shot him a nasty look before saying, "I have some here. Let me get you a sample and then you can leave."

And she stepped out of the room with quick steps.

"Tell me now, Pansy." Neville said, pushing Ron away now that Susan was gone. "Go away Ron. I'll take us home."

"Uugghh fine. You both are ungrateful." Ron said stomping out of the room.

Neville turned back to Pansy, putting his hands on her hips. "Tell me."

"Denise killed herself upstairs."

Breath rushed out of him and he immediately enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry Pansy."

His comfort, however, only opened a flood gate of guilt on Pansy. She felt her face crumble and tears flowed freely from her eyes. All these years, her mother had such a burden placed on her and Pansy never knew, could never help. Now Pansy had the same burden… was her mother right? Would Neville be able to keep her sane? Could she really control that mirror as Denise had? ...

And everything her mother had said about the mirror, the dream Pansy had had lingered in her mind's eye, the golden shield standing out against white walls, its ruby glinting handsomely at her, and finally it clicked.

Voldemort wanted the mirror because the last Horcrux was inside the mirror.

The Shield in the mirror was the final Horcrux.

Only she could get into the mirror.

That's why Voldemort wanted her.

If her mother hadn't sent Neville into her life, Troy would have killed her and/or taken her to Voldemort.

She most certainly would have died either way…

It was time to end this.

But… how could she do it without her friends dying…

Could her visions be changed?

"Neville?" she asked through her tears. "I need you to get me that mirror and Hermione Granger."


	38. Unbroken Vows

A Riven Heart

Chapter 38

August 27th, 2006

They didn't go to Neville's apartment, they didn't go to Pansy's cottage. Instead they Apparated to the outside of The Burrow and ducked in as quickly and quietly as possible as the sun began to set.

Mrs. Weasley was at the stove, stirring a pot that smelled of beef stew. "Oh! Neville! Pansy!"

"Hi Mrs. Weasley. Ginny and Hermione are still here right?" Neville asked quietly.

"Girls!" She called instead of answering. "Staying for dinner dears? I heard there was some ruckus at the Hospital, but I assume everything is okay?"

Ginny and Hermione appeared at the door just a few seconds later.

"Hey Neville! You're out of the Hospital? How do you feel?" Ginny asked, giving him a gentle hug, their friendship evident. Pansy suddenly had a lot more love for Ginny Weasley.

"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked when she turned her eyes on Pansy.

"Can I talk to you two in private?" Pansy directed her question to Ginny and Hermione.

"Of course, come this way."

"Dinner is in twenty minutes girls! Arthur will be home by then!"

"Okay mum! Thanks."

Ginny led them all into the living room, shutting the door firmly behind them and placing a silencing spell on the room. Pansy pushed Neville gently into the nearest chair. He went easily which told her just how hurt he really was, even after two days at St. Mungo's.

"You sit down and relax, you're still hurting. Don't think I don't know." Pansy chided him, unconsciously rubbing at the spot over her heart.

"I'm not hurting as badly as you are. Tell us what's up." He said softly, interlacing their fingers in a move that curled her toes.

Pansy continued to rub her chest, trying to soothe the pains she felt coming through their soul mate bond, Neville's worry for her, Neville's need to protect her, Neville's love for her... it all twisted in a ball of emotion that she could literally feel through the bond... and she wondered what he felt.

She decided to start at the beginning. "My mother Denise has been slowly going insane these last few years, ever since that night… well… I found out tonight that she had the eye, she is - was - a Seer."

Hermione made a noise with her throat. "I don't put any merit in Divination."

Pansy waved her off. "Me either, but according to her... She got the gift from her mother, as I have now gotten it from mine." She admitted to their confused and shocked faces. "She killed herself tonight after wounding me. I guess it was necessary to pass on the gift. The last couple of weeks, I have been dreaming about a room with a shield in it. I passed it off as just random dreaming, but after today… My mother came to me after she had passed away, explaining what she had done, why she had done it. She said the Mirror," she gestured to the item in Hermione's hand. "-can only be worked by a Seer. That whatever Voldemort had my grandmother put in that Mirror needed to be destroyed."

It hurt to think about, still feeling so guilty that she didn't know, that she couldn't help. "But because of her gift and because of what happened to my father, she had been trapped in her own mind, slowly going insane. She told me that's why she passed on the gift to me."

They were silent as they listened, as they digested what she said. Then Hermione said, "You think this shield is in the Mirror… you think it's the last Horcrux?"

Pansy nodded. "I do. But wait, there's more… after I got out of the weird vision I had with my mother, Harry touched my arm and I had my first real vision… In it Harry defeated Voldemort, but it can't happen… not like that."

She knew immediately she had pissed off Ginny.

"What do you mean it can't happen? We've spent most of our lives trying to defeat him, why can't it happen?" Ginny snapped, crossing her arms.

"Because there were dead bodies…" Pansy whispered with horror. "You… your dad… Percy and Theo… Mrs. Malfoy. We were all in the drawing room at Malfoy Manor. You were dead."

Hermione shuddered at the mention of the drawing room and Pansy wondered why, but Ginny just looked uncomfortable.

"I haven't told anyone else. I feel like at any second I'm going to wake up and all this will have just been some horrible dream!" She began to pace back and forth as the other three looked on silently, but she felt too long without Neville's touch. She stopped and interlaced their fingers again.

But there was more, Gods there was so much more.

"Now here's my question, have I changed the future by having the vision, inadvertently causing what I saw to happen… or did I see it so I could change it? Am I changing it now? I came to you because you had the mirror and everyone knows you have experience with a Time Turner…"

Hermione's eye lit up with surprise. "How did you know?"

"Please, how else were you getting to all your classes third year? And Snape was sure you had something to do with Sirius Black…" Pansy replied.

Hermione regarded her carefully. "Professor Snape was a smart man."

"You really did have a Time Turner?" Ginny asked, shocked.

"I did, and Time is tricky… there is no concrete answer to the question you asked. On top of that Time Travel is different from prophecy. I've also never heard of someone having 'visions' as you put it. Most Seers just sprout of predictions, they don't actually see the future…"

"She may not have heard of that, but I have." Neville said, his face passive.

"You have?" Pansy turned to him.

"You have?" Hermione loudly said over her, looking bewildered.

"It's an old German story, about the flowers, pansies actually. I can't remember it word for word. But it went something like this: A witch was walking to town one summer day and decided to take a short cut through a field of pansies. They smelled lovely and they looked beautiful so she took the short cut every day. Eventually, most of the pansies had been trampled by the witch's boots and the remaining pansies grew sad. She told them she never meant to hurt the other pansies and she wanted to help, she had magic she said. She was a witch she said, but she needed something to make the magic work. So the remaining pansies said they would give up their beautiful scent if she could make the other pansies grow again. And so they did. Well a powerful wizard lived at the edge of the field. When the pansies lost their beautiful scent he set out to find out why. When he learned what the witch had done, he cursed her with The Sight so she could always see the consequences of her actions before she took them, but The Sight slowly drove her to madness and she ended up taking her life."

Ginny, Hermione, and Pansy all looked at him for several seconds after he stopped talking.

"Did you just make that up?" Ginny asked as Hermione stood up, and left the room without a word.

"What? No. Grams used to tell it to me all the time when I was growing up. I think the real story is about bulls, but Grams changed it so I could 'learn a valuable lesson'."

Neville looked up to Pansy, catching her other hand with his. And all that worry, all that need she had been feeling melted away. Neville just wanted her to be okay, a sense of stability rose up through the bond and settled on her heart.

"My mother said to me that our soul mate bond would protect me from the madness that came with the gift. She said it took a long time for her to get you and me together…" and didn't that just irk her? Is that the only reason she and Neville had gotten together? So he could save her from her own destiny? This Gift? This Curse? It had only been a month, their lives clicking together to quickly, their magic sparking together familiarly. She had thought them lucky...

But it was just... what? Predestination? The work of a mad mother. "My mother..."

His eyes flashed briefly at the mention of her mother, at what she spoke of. "I never thought…"

"I almost hate this Neville… I never put much faith into Divination."

"We have something in common then." Hermione said, walking back into the room with a giant, brown book. She slapped it down on the table and beckoned them all to look. She flipped open and found the page she was looking for.

"Pureblood genealogies?" Ginny scoffed. "Didn't they declare this book was a load of crock?"

"Not this one, this one accurate. Now, see here." She pointed about half way up one page.

"That's me! And my parents." Pansy said, following Hermione's finger.

"Yes, see Denise and Bernard. Of course Bernard comes from the Parkinson's which continues on on a different page, but your mother, Denise Parkinson maiden name Greengrass, was born to Astraea and William Greengrass. Now here's the funny thing about that, Astraea was born a Greengrass, William took the Greengrass name when they married because he wasn't Pureblood. You won't find that information anywhere else, would you? Now if you continue on, Astraea was born from Leo and Aquila Greengrass, those two were actually brother and sister and please don't get me started on how gross old Pureblood families can be. So again, the Greengrass connection continues on through the maternal side. And if you look, Aquila's mother's name was Cassandra Greengrass maiden name Fawley."

Pansy sucked in a breath, along with Ginny and Neville.

"Pansy, you're a direct descendant of a famous Foreseer," Hermione continued. "Not predestination, just good genes."

"Good genes?" Pansy asked as she looked over the family tree Hermione had found. "Hermione, look at the date of death for them… Cassandra died when she was 27 barely a mother herself, Aquila was 25, and Astraea was 30. My mother is the only one to live longer than that and she didn't make it very far, she was much younger than my father… Gods, can you imagine how young they were when this curse was passed to them, I mean what reason could they have had to pass this on? Also… are you saying Daphne and Astoria Greengrass could potentially be Seers too?"

"See, the genes are there… but they get their Greengrass name through the Paternal side of the family, your mother's brother David."

She sat down with a huff, sinking into the overly fluffy chair and putting her hands over her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, but she knew Neville had stood and began pacing back and forth. Then she felt a small hand pat her shoulder in a comforting way.

And the darkness faded. She was standing in Malfoy Manor again, in the drawing room. Harry, giant gashes where dark magic had opened his skin decorated his face and arms, stood over Voldemort's deformed, dead body, the golden shield lay cracked into pieces on the ground… right next to a dead Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom. She turned and there stood Dolohov, stalking through the doorway with his wand drawn pointing directly at Harry Potter.

"Noo!" she jumped, wrenching herself from the vision, and Ginny's comforting touch, panic attacking her nerves. She cried out.

Neville knew the instant something was wrong, a zing of emotion traveling down the soul mate bond, and took two giant steps in her direction, catching her in his arms. "What? What happened?"

"It's changed. Oh Gods it's changed." she panted, on the edge of hysteria.

"What changed, Pansy?" He clutched onto her tightly. "Pansy, it's okay!"

"No one else was there, just you and Draco and Harry and you were d-d-dead."

Just saying the words were hard enough, she felt her face crumble into dread, her teeth hurt, her fingertips went numb… Neville dead? No. Not that. Not ever.

"Pansy, no. Pansy I'm here and I'm fine." he did what he did best, wrapped his arms around her entire frame, pulling her deep into a hug. She in turn, buried her nose into his shirt and let the scent of him wash over her before the hysteria could firmly take over. Neville's unblinking, lifeless eyes stared at her. Flashes of her dead father and her dead mother assaulted her… she tried to shake it off only for it to be replaced with the fuzzy image of Theo's dead body. No... no. Not that please not that.

Lemongrass, earth, and faint echoes of St. Mungo's. It melted away the panic, a line forming in her mind's eye.

This is how she would be able to separate the images in her mind. The future from the present. Neville's bond to her, his very scent cleared her head like nothing else could.

"Pansy." His voice was hard, but she needed the cutting bite it carried. "I won't leave you, I can't. I just found you."

She listened, because she knew, knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Neville didn't lie, not to her.

"You can't die." she said, raising her face to look at him, their soul mate bond wide open with emotion. Need, love, panic...

He was silent for a long minute, holding her gaze. "Not without you."


	39. The White Room

A Riven Heart

Chapter 39

August 27th, 2006

Pansy and Neville clutched onto each other as the vow settled into being between them. She didn't disrespect him by thinking he could mean anything else. Their soul mate bond shined a glittering, immovable thread that felt like ocean waves and smelled like a wizard's garden and they both knew, without a doubt that they were in it together, until they died together…

With the sudden visions Pansy had been having, she felt like that day was upon them.

When the moment passed, they both turned towards Ginny and Hermione to see soft eyes.

Ginny stood. "I won't let that happen. No one is going to die."

Hermione sniffed once. "Tell me exactly what you saw in the vision, Pansy."

And so, she did. Every detail she could remember until Hermione asked, "How did this differ from your first vision?"

And she described that vision in great detail to the brunette witch, who after years of working at the prophet, on top of being the brightest witch of her age, and thus the best student, took quick notes with unerring accuracy.

"If we go by what Neville has shared, then your vision will only show you the consequences of your actions. I wish there was more visions to compare…"

"Oh I had one more…" Pansy had forgotten, though how she couldn't say. "In the Hospital."

So she talked about a shining wedding ring on Susan Bones' finger and a smart looking Ron.

"But the vision happened before you introduced them, right?"

"Yes, absolutely. Something about the vision made me want to introduce them..." Pansy nodded, watching Ginny pace a bit before sitting on the arm of the couch.

"So you could get visions about the consequences of actions you haven't taken yet. So we can't assume anything when it comes to your visions, the first one might not have changed yet."

"Even though I had a different vision?" Pansy asked.

"I'm afraid so. We have to go at this with what we know to be facts, of course your visions can help here too." Hermione said reassuringly. "For instance, we now know the Shield is the last Horcrux, we know Voldemort is at the Manor, we know this is a last stand for him. You can use the Mirror, because you're now a Seer and destroy the Horcrux. Harry doesn't have to be the one to kill Voldemort now, Harry has already fulfilled his part of the prophecy..."

"You're saying we should do it. Just us, not tell the rest of the Order?" Ginny asked for her perch on the couch.

"Why not? I know Malfoy Manor… I certainly remember how to get to the drawing room. We aren't children anymore, our current information says at the most, Voldemort has ten followers with him and even then, I doubt they would all be at the Manor if they don't know we're coming."

"Harry should be there, this has been his fight from the start..."

"I have been protecting Harry Potter since I was 11 years old, I won't be stopping now... if we leave him out of the fight in order to save his life, I'm sure he will understand." Hermione argued back.

"I have a question though, what exactly is stopping Voldemort from making more Horcruxes? What's to say he hasn't made a hundred more already?" Pansy asked, one of those knowing-feelings she'd been having telling her to break up this fight.

It worked.

"Because the sheer difficulty in making them only increases tenfold with every one you make. His soul is way too unstable to create another one, especially since he hasn't fully recovered his body yet." At Pansy's nod of understanding Hermione continued. "In the simplest of terms, the Horcrux gets destroyed, we sneak into Malfoy Manor which should be fairly easy for me because I know the wards, and we ambush him while he's vulnerable."

"Except only about a thousand things could go wrong." Neville said. "You're telling us to go off on what we know to be true, and yet we're still planning this like we're trusting Pansy's visions… no offense love."

"None taken, but I agree with Hermione. The fewer people that go in there, the less chance there is for more death." She pushed away at the image of Theo's lifeless body by Percy's equally lifeless body…

"But the fewer that go in, the more chance of failing because of something we weren't ready for." Neville rubbed at his jaw.

"We will never be totally ready. But I have another idea, if you want to hear it." Pansy said, standing again. She shook out a few of her jitters.

"Go head…"

"Right now, Voldemort wants something. Something pretty badly." She bit at her lip.

"Right, the mirror, we know the last Horcrux is in it and he wants it to keep it safe." Hermione said.

"And who has the Mirror?" Pansy asked, holding up the item they spoke of.

They all looked at her with shock.

"Bait? You mean to use yourself as bait?" Ginny said, her voice edged with worry. But she was considering it, Pansy knew. "How Gryffindor of you..."

"You can't really think I would allow you to do that." Neville said, standing too. He put his hands on either side of Pansy's shoulders.

"Just because you're my soul mate doesn't mean you're my boss." Pansy challenged.

"That is…exactly what it means. I won't let you willingly put yourself in danger." It was such a Neville thing to say, but she was shaking her head from the start.

"If we plan it right, this could be the best chance we have of killing Voldemort without getting all of our friends killed." She argued back.

"No, there has to be another way. We go with Hermione's plan."

"Neville, I love you to ends of this world, but I cannot let Theo die. He means too much to me. This is my chance to be brave. And I'm sorry but as you've seen, he is no good in a combat situation… he cannot go to the Manor and I think he'll follow Percy if he had the chance. Percy would come with us. Voldemort wants me, he's sent people after me. When that didn't work, he sent people after you and your ex and St. Mungo's. We have something that could make this work, your boss… Sam McGee... He could 'take me in'. You guys come in right after me, Hermione knows the wards. We destroy this monster once and for all. We protect the people we love."

"No, no way. No. Way too many things could go wrong." Neville shook his head, his fingers digging into her skin.

Her mind was racing with the conversation, with the possibilities that could happen. But no one else could go, knowing that anymore that went and the chances for death increased dramatically. Any others that came would throw everything off, the cosmos wrecked.

As soon as that thought passed through her mind, her vision split once again. Nausea threatened her, but this time she closed both her eyes. Instead of seeing split vision, her used her mind's eye to receive the vision. It worked, again feeling like an unused muscle stretching, and the nausea passed as quickly as it came.

She was standing in the drawing room in Malfoy Manor, a pile of ash sat in front of her, smoking. She knew it to be what remained of the Dark Lord. Beside her, Neville, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Mrs. Malfoy stood. Grinning. Behind them, four men with Dark Marks sat tied up and looks ranging from anger to fear crossed their faces.

She opened her eyes. "It's changed again..."

Ginny and Hermione stood, looking at her with equal parts amazement and curiosity.

"Us and Harry. We have to go now. I know it. I can't explain why it feels so right, but it does. Voldemort has four others with him. How do I destroy this Horcrux?" She turned to Hermione. "Us and Harry. I know it."

She nodded, accepting what Pansy was saying. "Come with me. Bring that Mirror."

They all followed her out of the living room, out of the kitchen and into the crisp night air. "Mum we'll be back later!" Ginny called.

"My place." Was all Hermione said before she Apparated away.

Neville grabbed Pansy's hands and made sure she was ready for a Side-Along Apparation.

Hermione's place turned out to be a small, yet inviting cottage buried deep in the woods. She led them in, bypassing so many wards it made Pansy dizzy. But once the four were safely inside the house, it was warm and cluttered with furniture and books. Books everywhere.

"Sit, sit. I'll be right back."

And she was, coming back into what Pansy thought might have been the living room, with a small box. They all sat around a small coffee table, Hermione placing the box in the middle. With several waves of her wand, the box gently opened on its own.

Hermione reached in and brought out a long tooth, no a fang, from its depths. The fang was several inches long, and bone white.

"What the hell is that thing?" Pansy couldn't help but ask, leaning away from it.

"This… is a Basilisk fang… I have had it since 7th year." Hermione grinned in a proud-crazy way Pansy rarely ever saw.

"Are you joking? Where the hell did you get that?"

"From the Chamber of Secrets."

"The Chamber of… dear Merlin…"

Except Hermione's grin was fading as she looked at the fang. "Damn… I think it's been too long… the venom has dried out…"

"Is that the only thing that would destroy a Horcrux?"

"No… Fiendfyre, I don't suppose you know how to safely wield that?" Ginny asked.

"Definitely not… my only talent is in potions…" Pansy shook her head.

Neville made a noise of disapproval. "That is not true, Pansy." His eyes were chiding.

"Name one other thing I am good at." Pansy snapped in challenge.

"Well you are really good at-"

She realized her mistake and that playful look in his eyes, or maybe it was the mischievous feeling that shot down the soul mate bond, but it was only an instant and she slapped her hand over his mouth. "This is no time for jokes, Neville."

"Well too bad we don't have the Sword of Gryffindor anymore…" Hermione mumbled, looking through a book that was on the floor by the coffee table.

Neville shifted next to her in a nervous movement she wasn't used to seeing from him.

Hermione's eyes snapped to him. "Neville?"

"Er… well, I might still have it…"

"Wait a minute…" Hermione started. "Describe that shield again to me, Pansy?"

"Probably about four feet tall? Definitely goblin gold, with a giant ruby at the top. I could draw it if you wanted me to."

"Hold on!" She said, jumping up and taking quick steps to one of the many book shelves. She began quickly scanning books, throwing several over her shoulder into random directions. The books barely hit the floor before bouncing as if made of rubber before they came to a stop, undamaged.

"A ha! Here… is this the shield you saw?" she turned a book around, opened to a page with a large descriptive drawing of a shield on it. The words on the top of the page said 'The Shield of Godric Gryffindor'.

She studied the drawing of the shield, recognizing it immediately. "I'm positive this is the same shield."

"Damn that bastard."

"He fucking did it." Both Hermione and Ginny spoke, looking beyond pissed off.

"What? What happened?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "When Harry told us what he had learned about Voldemort, the Horcruxes, he talked about how he only wanted to make them out of items that meant something. He made one out of an important item of each of the Founders; a locket from Salazar Slytherin, a cup from Helga Hufflepuff, and a diadem from Rowena Ravenclaw. We were so happy to learn that Dumbledore kept him from making one out of the Sword of Gryffindor, like he couldn't get to our house. But the Shield of Gryffindor is much less known. When Harry killed the Basilisk in 2nd year, he used the Sword of Gryffindor to do it and goblin made gold takes in only that which makes it stronger, we – I mean Neville – was able to use the Sword to kill Voldemort's snake, a Horcrux, because of that."

"So the sword should be able to destroy the shield right?"

"I am not sure the Sword of Gryffindor would do anything to the Shield of Gryffindor… because from what I've read… here look..."

And she pointed to a paragraph on the opposite page in the same book. There written in tiny but neat handwriting read: 'The Shield and Sword were forged together in the fires of Daemonfourge, using the same batch of goblin made gold. Though this process is unknown to wizards, it is common knowledge that such two items would then be linked together...'

"...they are linked… if the sword took in the Basilisk venom… I'm betting the shield did too…" Hermione concluded. "In any case it would be risky to use The Sword on its brother..."

"So you're saying we don't have a way to destroy this Horcrux?" Pansy asked, reaching her hands out and grabbing the Mirror from Ginny and looking at it for the first time. A zap of cool magic played over her fingers.

She looked into the reflective surface, seeing her reflection for the first time ever. "Oh…" Her reflection winked and disappeared so quickly, Pansy wondered if she imagined the whole thing. "Okay, my …" and Gods did it hurt to think about her. "… my mother said I could control the Mirror, that I could use it to destroy that thing Voldemort put in it…Those were her words."

"Wow, think about the implications of that statement… Pansy you could use that Mirror to see the future, to predict weather patterns, major politics, breakthroughs, solve major crimes…" Hermione listed off.

"Bet on Quidditch matches…" Ginny added with a grin.

Pansy heard them in the distance, but focus had consumed her. She used both hands to hold the Mirror, feeling its cool magic sweep over her and all at once, it was familiar and new. Similar to when she used a wand, she channeled the magic back into the Mirror, and the surface shimmered. Magic was about intent. You have to mean it.

The Mirror cooled with the magic, but Pansy knew it knew her intent and it showed her what she wanted.

Her image appeared, sitting in the very room she was already in, fiddling with the Mirror. Her image self winked before gripping the Mirror tightly, the silver frame engraved with small flowers lit up with a blue light before it shattered. The pieces fell to the ground, a dark liquid like blood leaking from the edges.

Hermione looked up, "That is exactly what it looked like when we destroyed the Diadem…"

"So all we have to do is destroy the Mirror?" Ginny asked.

But something definitely felt off…

"That seems convenient…" Neville mumbled. "Pansy, no offense… but that doesn't actually look like you…"

The image of Pansy continued to look up at them through the surface. As soon as he said it, Pansy agreed. Her image in the Mirror looked … too beautiful, too shiny, her eyes too big…

"How many years would you say a piece of Voldemort's soul has been in that Mirror? Long enough to gain control?" Hermione asked.

Pansy shivered at the idea… and then felt sick realizing she had had it in her possession since he was a tiny girl…

"We can't trust it then, can we? We can't destroy it… we might lose the last Horcrux forever…" Ginny kicked at the couch. "Fucking Tom… Take me into that Mirror… I know him just as well as Harry…"

"Absolutely not!" Hermione cried.

Pansy reached to set the Mirror down, feeling sick at the truth of what it really was, when she felt a tug in her navel. She dropped it immediately, having the jolting sensation that she was about to be sucked into the Mirror, it felt just like falling. She automatically reached for Neville's hand, needing the stability of his touch.

But she barely blinked and she wasn't in Hermione's house…

She was in the white room.


	40. The Final Chapter

A Riven Heart

Chapter 40, Final Chapter

August 27th, 2006

She sucked in a breath.

It had happened between one second and the next, between sitting in Hermione's quaint living room to being in the Mirror, the cool magic of it tingling across her body… but now it felt dark… too cold… smug… It was happy she was here, surrounded by solid white walls, no doorways, no windows, nothing but smooth, endless white, white walls.

She wore only a thin tee-shirt over tight black jeans and the magic was now freezing cold. She resisted the urge to shiver.

The brown weapon rack stood in the middle of the white room hosting the Shield she had dreamed of. It was closer to 5 feet tall than 4 feet, but the gold was immaculate and shiny and strong, the ruby at the top glinting with such a clarity, Pansy could barely take her eyes off of it.

But this was nothing like the dream she had. This was real… very real.

"Now who are you?" A silky voice, a strong voice.

She whipped around. A handsome man stood before her, bright clear eyes and dark hair pushed back, maybe early 30s. He smiled at her. He was very handsome and very confident.

"Go on love, tell me your name." He took a few steps towards her, his movement smooth and sure of himself, but she wasn't fooled. She knew exactly who he was.

"Tom Riddle." She said instead of her own name. "I'm not afraid of you." She was terrified. This man had done the unspeakable to her... of course she was terrified.

His dark eyes narrowed. "You should be afraid... you're trapped here now… like I am. But I control this, I could let you out."

A twinge of panic came down the soul mate bond, Neville knew she was gone. She tried to calm herself, send back that she was okay, but their bond was still new.

"I could get myself out." She told the man.

He took another step towards her, leaving only a few inches between them. "Could you? You don't have a wand."

She shook her head. "No, I don't have a wand." She showed him her hands, empty.

"But you are a witch?" he asked.

Instead of answering she turned slightly, "What is that?"

Anger flashed behind his eyes at her avoidance of his questions, but he walked past her, towards the weapon rack. "It is not beautiful? Strong? A Good wizard's shield. The Shield of Godric Gryffindor. Do you know who that is?"

She nodded. "Yes, one of the founders at Hogwart's." She was working on pure bravado… which she might've thought was ironic, if she could think of anything else besides keeping herself alive from a piece of Voldemort's soul.

A piece of the man who tortured her, the man who killed her baby…

"That's right." He looked over her again. "Did you attend at Hogwart's? What house were you in?"

"Slytherin, I was sorted into Slytherin." she answered automatically. Because she was cunning, because her magic is subtle and cunning, because she can do things regular witches and wizards can't…

"You know my real name, maybe you are just saying that because you think that's what I want to hear." he walked slowly around the shield, linking his fingers behind his back.

"I know your real name because you are famous." She responded. She mirrored his posture, linking her own fingers behind her back, and began walking in the same direction he was walking. She didn't want to be near him again.

"Famous?" That got him, she wanted to smirk but she kept her face as passive as she could. "For what? What am I famous for?"

"Great, great magic. Magic unheard of." She answered. She flexed her fingers behind her back, and held back the sigh of relief. Barely. Her wand came to her hand just as easily here as it did anywhere else. Now what could she do with it? The thought barely crossed her mind when she felt sheer, uncontrollable panic shoot down the soul mate bond, her mind's eye briefly catching what could only be described as Neville's view, him standing over a Mirror, watching Pansy and... Lord Voldemort.

She couldn't keep it from showing on her face. And then... her mind opened up, her vision splitting. She couldn't take her eye off the handsome man, so she fought back the nausea and watched him out of one eye while the other showed her the future.

Voldemort. With a new body. He dropped a stone from his hand and grinned.

Pansy shook herself, emotionally and physically.

"Ahh…" he said, smiling even wider. He had a row full of white, straight teeth. It was starting to piss her off how good looking this man was, knowing how horrible he truly was. "Magic you're afraid of. I told you to be afraid." He was enjoying this slow walk around the shield.

She pushed back the panic, and tried to think. What did she have? What could she do?

She had a wand.

The Shield was between her and Voldemort.

"And I told you I am not afraid." she brought her hands to her front, pointed her wand at him. The Willow in her hand shivered with anticipation, glad to be used. It brought an energetic warmth to her.

"I knew you weren't in Slytherin, little girl. You are way too brave, too fiery."

She sucked in a breath. Fire.

"Maximus Malum Ignis!"

With a roar that hurt her ears, a fiery serpent exploded from the tip of her wand, engulfing the Shield of Godric Gryffindor in ferocious Fiendfyre. The flames burned bright yellow and orange and vicious and cruel and lifted to the ceiling in only seconds. She backed up as quickly as she could, her back hitting one of the white walls. She watched with horrible fascination as the flames roared and devoured the Shield, melting it down into nothing. And the handsome man that was a piece of Voldemort's soul sunk to his knees in agony, his skin breaking apart as a greenish yellow fire erupted beneath his skin, immolating him from the inside.

She took giant gulping breaths as she watched the last remnants of the handsome man fleck away like ashes, only for those to catch fire and burn away even more. The white room was no longer white, its walls beginning to crumble as the fire crawled upwards and outwards... coming right for her.

"Fuck…" She gripped her wand and pointed it at the fire, trying to remember exactly what she read about Fiendfyre. Water couldn't extinguish it, it was dark magic.

Gods she hated dark magic. Just like… her wand.

If there was one thing wandmakers agreed on, it was that dark magic did not come easily to those who wielded with a Willow.

She was drenched in sweat and the fire was creeping too close for comfort so she had no more time to decide. She gripped her wand with both hands and attempted to channel the Fiendfyre into her wand.

There was a hissing sound like air being sucked from the room and it startled her so much she dropped her wand. It fell with a bounce.

The fire retreated briefly from the wand like it was shielded. She grabbed onto it with panic and desperation before it disappeared entirely into the fire and tried again.

It hurt.

The mere heat from the fire had burned the underside of both her arms, but reacted to her Willow in adverse. So she gripped her faithful wand through the pain, through the sweat, and watched with hard breaths as the Fiendfyre channeled massively into her wand, the tip eating up the fire like a hungry pet. Slowly, so slowly, the room began to empty until the Willow was painfully hot and throbbing in her hand. She dropped it and watched as it splintered with a hiss, like water on a hot pan.

She collapsed into a pile, looking down at her hands. Burned. Burned so badly she didn't know if she would ever use them rightly again. She abruptly thought of all the effort she had put into getting into the Potion Master's program and now knew it was hopeless.

It made her laugh.

"Holy Fucking Hufflepuff." she groaned, leaning her head back on the wall behind her, eyes closing. "Okay, get me the fuck out of here."

She couldn't help but sass the room, a room she knew she couldn't get out of. And now her wand lay in splinters on the floor. She was trapped. Just like that bit of Voldemort had been, except she had to eat eventually…

She felt a zing down the soul mate bond. She couldn't tell what it meant, couldn't tell what it felt like but it reminded her of sunny summer days in her garden and long, sweaty nights tumbling in her bed with a man who knew her better after only a month than any other person on this earth.

And then she smelled lemongrass. Felt familiar, hard arms wrapping around her and picking her up. A tug in her naval.

And then she heard Neville's familiar voice yelling at her.

"YOU IDIOT WOMAN, WHY DID YOU GO IN THERE?" he was running with her in his arms. "AND I SAW YOU CAST THAT DAMN SPELL. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! SUSAN BONES PLEASE!"

"Sir you have to stop yelling!"

"Sir, what is the problem?"

Voices were going in and out. She blinked and it felt like a lot of time had passed.

"Weren't you two just here?!" Susan Bones' face came into her vision then. "Burns are tricky, everyone move. Set her down Neville, right here. Yes in the waiting room set her down!"

She was put down gently, she knew. But her vision was sliding in and out and then she could see the edge of Susan's bright yellow healer robes, a badge over her heart with two hands held out.

She focused on that, running her eyes over the delicately engraved fingers of the hands. Eventually it became clearer, Susan channeling her delicate magic into healing the burns on her arms, her hands, her feet, her front…

The fire had never actually gotten to her. These were just from the heat.

She had almost gotten herself killed. She pushed away from Susan and leaned over in the chair she was sitting in, vomiting directly on the floor. She felt calloused hands holding her hair back, knew that even if Neville was mad at her, he was still here helping her.

Throwing up was disgusting, but it cleared her head. She sat back up.

"How did I get out of there?"

Susan ignored her question, instead grabbing her injured arm again and resuming her healing spell.

"I broke that damn mirror into pieces." Neville ground on, coming to his haunches beside her. "What the fuck were you thinking going in there like that?"

"Neville are we about to fight again?" she asked through chattering teeth, Susan's healing feeling like ice over her hot burns.

"You're damn right we're going to fight again!"

"I didn't go in on purpose – it sucked me in before I could stop it." She met his eyes with the hardest glare she could, because she couldn't currently use any limbs to hit him over the head.

"…Oh."

"And what do you mean you broke the mirror? Isn't that what we had just agreed not to do?!"

"Don't get mad at me, I had to sit there and watch you face off with Voldemort and I couldn't do anything about it! Idiot woman!"

Susan Bones, the girl dressed in Aide's robes and the St. Mungo's receptionist were the only other people in the room, and all three of them gasped when Neville said Voldemort's name.

But Pansy didn't care. She was hurting and mad and her body was shaking from the pain of Susan healing her burns. "Call me idiot woman one more time Neville Longbottom and I will knock all of your teeth in!"

"You don't even have a wand anymore! Because you caused Fiendfyre-"

"Fiendfyre?" Susan snapped her head up. "You cast Fiendfyre? Literally the day you got out of St. Mungo's you cast Fiendfyre!? I should have you all committed!"

Pansy sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You can have me committed tomorrow, Susan... tonight we have somewhere we need to be." She leveled her look on Neville, seeing Ginny, Harry, and Hermione burst through the entrance of St. Mungo's out of the corner of her eye.

Neville however kept his eyes firmly on her, understanding filtering through their bond. "Tonight?"

"Yes. We have to leave now. I know it."

"This is going to hurt!" The warning did nothing to prepare her. Pansy sucked in a breath as Susan began separating her burnt and somehow melted jeans from her burnt flesh and nausea welled up without warning, the pain so intense, so raw and the sound... She leaned over and threw up again.

Clipped angry words. "Susan-can't-you-do-anything-about-that?" Neville's voice had dropped dangerously low, his anger switching gears from Pansy to the Healer, but Susan didn't even blink.

"Oh who me? The Healer? Pansy I can't give you anything right away until I get all the clothes off the burnt areas, so just suck it up."

Pansy dug her fingers into Neville's arms as pain made her vision blurry again. "Holy fucking Hufflepuff, you were a lot nicer to me earlier..." she said to distract herself. Susan's other hand braced on her uninjured shoulder and it caused a myriad of visions to assault Pansy's mind. She shut eyes immediately, but it didn't stop the visions from assaulting her.

Her and Susan sitting down in an office together, the large calendar behind her happily proclaiming it was Wednesday, August 31st and to have a good day. It switched to her and Susan laughing as they enjoyed a day off, getting a pedicure, chatting about Hospital business and potion supplies, to the group of them all at a Quidditch match on a beautiful fall day, to - she ripped herself away from the visions, or rather, the pain of whatever Susan had just done ripped her away.

She wanted to throw up again, but there was nothing left. When was the last time she had eaten?

"That was when I thought you were an intelligent witch. Fiendfyre? Honestly." But Susan kept it up, not phased in the slightest at the burnt flesh smell that was beginning to fill the room.

Harry shuffled between feet. "Fiendfyre? What were you four doing? I thought I told you to get somewhere safe?" He looked between Pansy and Neville.

"Ask Theo, I am no good at listening to orders from Gryffindor's." Pansy kept talking to distract herself, but it barely helped. Her teeth began to chatter together again, her body vibrating as the pain swept over it. She shut her eyes and focused on not screaming.

"I'm almost finished, Pansy. Just hold it together okay?" Susan worked quickly and effectively, her wand a whip.

"Harry we'll talk about it in a minute okay? We need to wait for Pansy. We have to go." Hermione explained.

"Go where? Pansy isn't going anywhere." Susan argued.

"No I have to. I have to be there. I can't explain why, but I do. Us," she said to Neville through the shakes that raked her body. "No one else..."

Susan huffed but continued to work. "Almost ... almost."

An eternity later, a second later... "Okay. I'm finished, your feet and legs got the worst of it and still might scar. But your arms and hands are fine."

The Aide that had been standing to the side throughout the whole process walked up and handed Susan several potion bottles, Pansy recognized immediately. She held her hand out and Susan checked each one before handing them to her patient. Then she said in that stern, no nonsense voice she had, "This is from the batch we bought from you, Ms. Parkinson. How funny."

Pansy shook her head. "I predicted my own stupidity apparently." she said, throwing back a very strong pain potion and a Skin Softening potion which would help the scars. "I'm not taking this though, we have to go."

And she handed the Dreamless sleep potion back to Susan who clicked her tongue in disapproval. "24 hours. I don't want to see you for at least 24 hours, understood?"

Pansy smirked, though she felt like she had been put through the wringer. "I can guarantee I won't see you until next Wednesday." She stood on her now bare feet, wobbling with small twinges of pain, until Neville balanced her by placing his hands on her hips. She turned her face to him. He understood what she needed without her saying a word.

"Back to my apartment." was all he said as he picked up Pansy and carried her out of the entrance to St. Mungo's as quickly as he carried her in, Apparating out as soon as he hit the Apparation Point.

The five of them arrived to Neville's empty apartment and everyone watched as Pansy fell into one of the kitchen chairs and laid her head on the table, groaning. Neville left her there with a gentle touch on the cheek before he went to his room to grab her a pair of pants and maybe find a set of shoes for her to wear.

"Does anyone want to explain to me what the hell is going on?" Harry said in a rough tone, after hugging Ginny tight to him.

"Pansy destroyed a Horcrux, Harry." Ginny said, tone steely and proud?

"What?!" Harry turned so quickly he almost knocked Ginny over. His emerald green eyes landed on Pansy, leaning over the table and trying not to throw up again. "You did what?! You found out what the last Horcrux was?! Why didn't you guys tell me what you were doing?!"

"Because..." Pansy took a deep breath. "Harry what lengths would you go to protect the ones you love?"

He tilted his head slightly but he wasted no time answering her question. "All... any lengths." He looked to Ginny. "I would do anything."

"My mother killed herself so she could give me a gift... or a curse. The Sight. And with it I saw a lot of people that you and I love... dead. We cannot let that happen, so whatever I tell you tonight you cannot let out of this room. Draco, Theo, Percy, Ron, George, whoever. None of them can know. It can only be us that faces off with Voldemort for the final fight."

Harry stared at her for a long moment. "Is that what she did? Is that... why she did what she did?"

Pansy nodded and choked back tears. It hadn't even been 12 hours since her mother had killed herself. She wondered if she and Neville would be joining her shortly.

"This is what I know. Voldemort is at the Malfoy Manor with 4 other Death Eater's, he isn't expecting us and no one else can go. Only us. And it has to be tonight. If the five of us go, and Mrs. Malfoy still has a wand, we'll outnumber them by one. If she doesn't, we're still even... I wish I could see who the Death Eater's are..."

Neville walked out at that moment with another pair of sweats, transfigured to fit her smaller frame.

"So, we're just going to do what? Go to Malfoy Manor, fight off four unknown Death Eater's, and then what just kill Voldemort?" Harry asked.

Pansy bit at her lips. "Honestly? I don't know when, but Voldemort is going to get his body back and I think it's going to be really soon. We have to go tonight."

She looked around the room, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville all took out their wands in preparation.

Her heart sunk even further. She held out her palm, she tried to summon her wand to her even knowing it wouldn't work, and stared blankly down at her empty palm.

Neville placed his own hand over her outstretched hand and pulled her to her feet. "I'm sorry about your wand, Pansy."

"It's been a day." She tried to make it sound light, but it came out hard and thick with tears. Could she possibly cry anymore today?

"Shh." Neville knelt down in front of her, wrapping both his arms around her waist and resting his hands on her back. A pulse of love came through their bond.

She indulged herself for a full minute, hugging him back, knowing he was hers in every way, no insecurities plagued her, no doubts, nothing. But she could physically feel time running out, time they needed to get to Voldemort and destroy him.

"We have to go." She said finally. Neville shifted away and his gaze pierced hers.

"But you have no wand."

She was already shaking her head. "Doesn't matter. We have to go now. Is everyone ready?"

It turned out to be incredibly easy to get into Malfoy Manor, Hermione knowing exactly where to go, knowing exactly how to disable wards. The five of them were silent, Hermione and Harry leading the way through a maze of dark rooms, Ginny in front of Pansy, and Neville guarding their backs. It worked perfectly until they got to the drawing room.

Then Pansy took over. "Remember," she whispered to Harry and Hermione. "Four Death Eater's and watch out for Dolohov." Neville stood behind them, eyes sharp for any movement, his wand ready to shield them.

They gingerly stepped into the drawing room, and it looked exactly like her vision. It was still night dark outside, but the curtains were swept open exactly the same, the books lined up in the same order. Pansy took a few steps forward, looking around, needing to know it was the same as the vision she had, the one where no one died. The need so deep inside her, the need to keep everyone safe.

The table looked exactly the same, the cabinet full of expensive crystal looked the same... she was in the middle of feeling relieved when...

"Well, look who decided to show up." She turned on her big toe, absolute terror filling every fiber of her being at that familiar voice. Images of her Slytherin dorms and the scents of sex and expensive cologne crushed her as Blaise Zabini stood in the doorway opposite the entryway they had come in.

He stood tall, skin darker than the finest chocolate, his face a study of symmetrical perfection and full lips. "No... Blaise? What are you doing here?"

This she certainly hadn't seen. This she never expected. Her terror at seeing this man, of all men, muted out all other feeling, including the soul mate bond. She could barely breathe. Ginny made a sound like a growl, but Harry and Hermione had to physically restrain Neville. It took two of them because of Neville's height and weight but the look on his face... Pansy looked back to Blaise, his aristocratic smirk firmly in place as he looked around.

"I'm here doing my duty, of course. We were just talking about how to go about fetching you darling. I had a few ideas myself..." His voice raked painful shivers down her spine, her arm coming up to cover her shoulder, trying to hide her front from him. Just seeing him somehow made her feel 8 years younger, like a girl who wanted to forget, who wanted to be hurt, a girl who was all alone in a world full of more capable and more vicious adults. And her gift spiraled out of control, her mind's eye opening up to the past showing her what she would never want to relive.

A 17 year old Blaise, so young and handsome, forcing himself on her over and over again. Ripping her skin, taking total control and leaving her in shreds. He tied her up. He beat her. He ran his smooth, delicate hands over her body and made sure she hurt... just like she wanted him to...

Her breathing increased, throat closing up. Her vision tunneled directly to Blaise and everything else faded. She was just a small witch with no real powers, no parents, no hope... she didn't even have a wand. He was so much bigger than her, had held her down so many times, and made her cry for her life...

She gasped, a hole punched through her chest where the soul mate bond usually rested, a hole that felt like Neville Longbottom. Her nose filled with the scents of mud and lemongrass and ... rage.

Rage. She should be so mad. Sure she had wanted it, gods she had wanted Blaise to hurt her, but she had needed help and instead he had indulged her sickness by feeding his own...

That bastard. The rage was easy to catch, Neville's own rage at seeing the man he knew had hurt his witch so many times flowed into her own rage, which fed back to him. A loop that fed itself. The bond filled with it, then expanded when she didn't let it lessen. It built up exponentially until she was seeing red, so beyond mad, so beyond reason, not even the pings in her mind that told her she should be having a vision right now could distract her.

She ran at Blaise with all the fury she and Neville shared, and by the gods he was filled with it, and had the satisfaction of seeing his smug face turn to surprise as she lifted her hand, formed a perfectly round fist, and punched him square in the jaw. She put everything she had into that swing and Sweet Salazar did it feel good. He didn't go down, but he stepped back several feet and rubbed at the jaw, however... his wand had fallen in the altercation. Seizing the moment, Pansy lunged for it, scooping it up with her hands while Blaise was too distracted to notice. The rage drained to containable levels and she had a chance to look around, seeing Hermione fighting with Neville to keep him still, a spell holding him down on his knees as his body trembled in its rage, but Harry and Ginny were fighting three other Death Eater's.

She gripped the Black Oak wand in her hand and marveled at how different it felt from her beloved Willow. She knew her magic would never connect to this wand as it had with her other, but it recognized that it had been won over. She turned it on Blaise and silently stunned him, sending him to the ground with a satisfying thump. And the rage finally filtered out, the bond opening to allow for more emotion, more stability. She knew she and Neville would have to work on that, because it could not be safe if they could amp up each others emotions like that in the future.

With that thought in the back of her mind, she turned and silently did the same she had done to Blaise to the nearest Death Eater, the mask on his face melting away as he fell to the floor revealing Marcus Flint, passed out cold. She circled around to get closer to Neville, one eye on him as he slowly calmed down, his head shaking as Hermione now turned her attention to the fight happening in the middle of the room. Pansy saw a good opening from her position by the window and tripped one of the remaining Death Eater's, his legs tangling up beneath him until he fell forward, directly into a stunner spell Harry had sent. Terence Higgs.

One left. He was surrounded. He waved off his mask before throwing his wand to the floor in surrender. Dolohov.

Hermione actually growled at him before stunning the man. And then binding him.

It had worked, not the way she thought it would, not even the way she wanted it do. But they had incapacitated all four Death Eater's she knew were here in the Manor. Now for...

"Ahh what a great show you have all put on..."

She turned again at the sound of that silky voice she had just heard earlier. There he stood, a new body, young and handsome as he had once been, Lord Voldemort.

Smirking.

His perfect white teeth shone out behind his lips like he had a secret to share.

"Ms. Parkinson... I have so been looking forward to meeting with you again. I'm sure you remember out last encounter?" he asked her, his arm waving out dramatically, his wand pointing to the left and... a magic wave of force knocked Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione down to their knees, knocking their heads together.

She turned back to the handsome man that was Lord Voldemort and steeled herself. She wasn't afraid, not like last time. She hadn't had this vision, she didn't know how this night would end, but she was sure she was going to make it through...

She had to. For Neville. Who stood up from behind a chair where he must've fallen, moving his head like he was trying to orient himself. And she felt him through their soul bond, this incredible, amazing gift that had been given to them. A window directly to her heart that let her feel just how much that man truly loved her.

She smiled back at Voldemort and then, at his look of surprise that reminded her of Blaise just a few minutes ago, she laughed. She laughed so hard.

It caught on, Harry came up to one knee, laughing with her. Ginny, Hermione, they both helped each other up, laughing. Neville too started laughing, walking over to join them. The four walked over to her and continued to laugh because they knew what she knew.

There was no more Horcruxes, only one pathetic, afraid man.

"What is this?!" He shouted, his face twisting in anger.

"You never learn do you Tom?" Ginny said.

Harry nodded, still a smile on his face. "You never listened to Dumbledore, or me. Did you?"

"The power of love." Hermione said, shooting a grin in Neville and Pansy's direction.

"Dumbledore is dead because of me! Remember? And you will all be dead shortly now. I am the Master of Death and I will always be the Master of Death... YOU CANNOT KILL ME! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

But they were ready, all silently shielding themselves from the spell which created a huge bubble of protection around the group. The sheer force of it bounced the Killing Curse from them and directly back to its caster.

Tom Riddle lay on the floor, dead. Finally.


	41. Epilogue

A Riven Heart

Epilogue

August 30th, 2006

Pansy sipped at her coffee as she sat on the new set of outdoor furniture Neville had bought her immediately following the events of the previous weekend. Now she sat back, enjoying the brisk, but beautiful morning as the sun rose over her garden and she wondered just where the hell Neville was getting all those rose petals from. The first one he had given her was still as red, as beautiful, smelled as great as it did the first day it had fallen out of the first letter Neville had sent. Now she had them all lined up in front of her, across the wicker. Deep red, sweet pink, sunny yellow, brilliant violet, and a new one, as vivid orange and enticing as a desert lily. It was something she had come to realize pretty quickly about her Gryffindor, he would never cut off flowers for her, the need to help things grow too apparent in him. Her garden that had flourished in the last month, though not with any rose bushes, and nor were there any in his greenhouses either. But flourished her garden had, mostly due to the efforts of that man... it had been exactly one month and one day since Neville Longbottom had come into her life, taking her over in a storm.

One month and one day and so much had changed. Now he slept in her bed, curled up after a riotous few days at the Ministry dealing with the aftermath of the death of Lord Voldemort.

Their soul mate bond stretched between them, contentment and that sleepy-almost awake feeling sliding lazily through the bond. She took it in and sent some back, lounging on the wicker chair and sipping her hot coffee. The bottoms of her feet ended up being the worst of the burn injuries, waves of scarred flesh covering the soles and sweeping up her feet to her ankles. And while her hands didn't look the same, they weren't scarred either. Susan had done a fine job healing them.

Pansy had had a very early appointment with the Healer that morning, coming in at the crack of dawn for a quick check up. The witch had looked at her arms, her legs, her feet, clicking her tongue as she examined the skin. Then she sat down opposite of Pansy and explained some of the results she had received after all the testing Susan had done.

Now, coffee in hand, sun on her face, fresh air in her lungs, she could finally come to terms with what Susan had told her.

There was so much long term damage that had gone untreated for too long, that carrying a child to full term might be impossible.

Might be.

There were options for Pansy, and Susan was willing to help her along if she choose them. First she had to talk to her blue eyed Gryffindor... who was waking up.

The bond was new, but she could feel his wakefulness and his sexual desire that came with waking up from all the way out in her garden. It licked up her toes, made her heart constrict, made her body sigh with need. In the same way they had inadvertently amped up each others anger into a blinding rage, Neville had figured out how to amp up their sexual desires for one another. They hadn't put it into practical use yet, both of them being busy in the days following the weekend, but she knew he was officially on vacation starting today.

She sighed and finished her coffee, leaning back in her chair and enjoying having her feet up. They were still a bit sore, and she had a feeling, one of those feelings, that it would always remain so. But that was a small price to pay for the joy her life had turned to.

Joy.

Delight.

Need.

Neville's hands came down gently on her shoulders from behind the chair, his fingers digging in, massaging her. She groaned. "Good morning." His hands moved up the skin of her neck, expertly coaxing moans from her with his fingers, moving into her hair and digging into her scalp. He used the leverage he had now to turn her face towards him and laid a good morning kiss on her that was all tongue and possession.

"Mmm..." he released her only after her lips were thoroughly swollen and her breaths were quick. His voice was sleep rough when he said, "Good morning to you too."

He sat in the matching chair, interlacing their fingers. "What do you want to do today?" he asked.

She leaned back again, her lips tingling with sensation only Neville could give her. Her feet hurt, her heart felt a bit bruised, she was wandless and dealing with a headache-inducing magical gift she was no where near ready for. Like now... her mind's eye twisted, and she tried twisting with it. She saw Neville and herself having sex in the middle of her garden, her gardening apron pushed up and pushed to the side as she angled herself on top of him, clutching at his shirt as she rode him.

She blinked and Neville was sitting in front of her, his finger running back and forth on her lip. The bond between flared with his sexual hunger for her.

"Nothing." She replied with a smile, knowing he already had plans.

Lots and lots of plans.

"But first I have to tell you something..."

September 18th, 2006

Pansy sat in the lone chair in the small office for the Potion Master's program, her new wand, Willow, 13 inches, with a unicorn hair, tucked into her navy blue robes, and calmly crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap. She was still researching the effects of the precious Charmed Lisianthus Neville had started breeding for her, how it affected magic between soul mate pairs (and how convenient was it she could test it on herself now) but that wasn't what she submitted today. No she had thought long and hard about what she wanted to make for her application, the 13th attempt to get into the program, twice a year for 6 years now and once this past spring, and finally came up with an idea... with the help of Ron Weasley.

It had been another one of Mrs. Weasley's dinners, dinners Pansy was now invited to, when Neville had causally mentioned that the Potion's Office was about to open up for Master Applications. And then conversation had turned to which potion she should brew. When she had turned down most of the ideas, simply because she had already submitted that particular potion, Mr. Weasley had asked how many times she had applied. The conversation had turned awkward until Ron had said, "You just need a bit of luck, don't ya?"

Liquid Luck. Felix Felicis. Beyond NEWT level potion making, it was one of the hardest potions to make. And she wanted so badly to have that Potion Master's title... all she needed was a little luck.

But she didn't take any. That would be cheating.

So she brewed it and bottled it, the liquid in the vial shining and bright gold, the consistency perfect. She scheduled an appointment and came down to the Ministry on a dreary September morning to submit her application.

The same lady sat at the desk, Cordelia Baines, an older witch with a mean frown, took her application wordlessly like she always did, and gestured for her to have a seat.

And several hours had passed. Cordelia reviewed other applications before hers, she talked to several people, pointedly ignoring Pansy the whole time.

And then Neville had walked in. He had leaned down and kissed her openly. "Hey you. I'm on lunch, thought I would wait with you for a bit."

Cordelia's eyes widened when Neville had walked in, her mouth opening in obvious shock. But before she could say anything the door to the office opened again, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walked in with sandwiches in their hands.

"Hey Nev, hey Pansy."

"Hey Pansy we-"

Harry didn't finish whatever he was about to say because Cordelia had let out a loud squeak.

"Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? In my office?"

Harry smiled. "Nice to meet you. Mind if we wait with our friend?"

He and Ron sat down on Pansy's other side. Pansy raised her eyebrows, immediately knowing what they were up to. She watched Cordelia's face turn from happy shock to confusion.

"Your... friend? You're friends with... with that?" Her tone implied she thought of Pansy the same way she thought of moldy bread. "She's a Death Eater..."

She snorted. It was very loud and very unladylike but she couldn't stop it any more than she could stop herself from pushing up the sleeves of her navy blue robes, revealing her bare arms.

"Who? Pansy? No way, she helped us defeat Voldemort." Ron said, stuffing his face with his sandwich.

Cordelia stood up quickly, papers haphazardly shifting over the desk and falling to the floor. "What?!"

Neville leaned back, stretching his arm to come around Pansy's shoulders. "How many times did you say you applied for this program, Pansy?"

"Must be very tough to get into, right?" Harry asked, also taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

"Who runs the program?" Ron wondered out loud, mouth full.

Cordelia was still, mouth agape all through their conversation, until she spun around and ran into the back office.

Pansy turned saying, "Guys, what are you doing here?"

"Told you, we're on lunch." Neville shrugged, running his fingers under the collar of her robe.

"Ya, we're starving."

Cordelia returned then, followed by an older wizard in a pointed wizard's hat and old, but taken care of robes. "Harry Potter, oh my, Harry Potter what an honor, what an honor to see you here in our offices. Are you applying for the Program?" He took Harry's out stretched hands and shook it vigorously.

"Who me? No I am rubbish at Potions. I'm just here to support my friend, Pansy Parkinson." Harry shrugged, gesturing to Pansy.

"Oh lovely, lovely. Pansy Parkinson? How wonderful to meet a friend of Harry Potter's, tell me dear girl how long have you been brewing? I assume this is your first time applying, I can walk you through the process myself."

"Oh no sir." Pansy shook her head. "This is my 13th attempt."

"13?" He crooked his head. "My dear, I am the one who approves or rejects applications and I don't remember ever seeing your name before..."

Pansy looked around the eccentric old man and looked at Cordelia. "Are you sure you've even been getting my applications?"

December 25th, 2006

Neville had argued and fought and even exchanged some heated words about spending Christmas alone, just him and Pansy. No, it wasn't Pansy's idea. It was his. She had been through enough.

No, he said. Pansy didn't blame Hermione for the article featuring Pansy, in great detail, and her life and the role she played in defeating Voldemort. The depth of information on Pansy's ability to summon her wand to her, her gift to see the future, it was all written plain as day and that's when the letters had started coming.

Some were sweet, and some even apologetic. Some where hateful and had Neville pissed off for days.

No, he said. Pansy was just exhausted from the rigorous Potion's program she was going through and it would be her first holiday without her mum, she just needs some quiet time. Plus Grams was out of town and they had a chance to just spend the day together.

No, there wasn't anything wrong. They just wanted a quiet holiday!

Yes, Hannah still refused to sign the papers finalizing their muggle divorce, meaning Neville and Pansy still couldn't get married yet. But they weren't in any hurry and Hannah was having a lot of trouble dealing with the fact that Neville and Pansy were soul mates but no, that didn't have anything to do with their decision to spend Christmas ALONE.

No, no dinners. No meeting up. Nothing. Have a good holiday. Go away!

So it was with a sigh of relief that he woke up Christmas morning, Pansy curled on her side facing him, his leg shoved between hers and her mouth parted slightly as she slept.

His work load the past few months had dwindled to catching up on paper work and easy patrols with the Law Patrol. But Pansy's had increased to fanatic levels of potion making. She would come home with bits of ingredients in her hair that reminded him of the first time he had stepped foot in her house, her pissed off look firmly on her face, pieces of lacewing in her hair, cruddy suds up to her elbows. She had revealed her past to him that night in an emotional storm that had taken them both down.

Now, they were connected by more than just love, more than trust, more than just magic. Soul mates. Connected by the soul. And he used that to protect her when he could. Making her sleep when she was exhausted, laugh when she was overwhelmed.

Little lines marred her forehead between her brows. He got up silently, tucking the covers around her so she could continue sleeping, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. A few moments later and the room filled with the dark aroma of coffee brewing. The scene out the window brought peace. It was a silent dark, the ground covered in a fresh layer of snow, the coming dawn barely a kiss on the horizon.

"I can't sleep when you aren't in bed with me." He set down his black coffee and went to her, a pair of fuzzy blue flannel pajamas and a long sleeved matching top, the least sexy thing he could think of, and yet she looked perfect to him. Her face was sleep heavy and her purple eyes looked smudgy in the dark lighting.

"I'm sorry, love. You were sleeping pretty heavily though." He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up, her legs wrapping around his waist.

"I can feel you right here." She brushed her fist over her heart. "And I can see the future. I knew you'd get up early."

He smiled. "Damn, it's going to be hard to surprise you on your birthday."

She laughed. "You're already thinking about my birthday? It's only Christmas."

"I'm always thinking about you."

Gods the things he says to her.

"So what did you get me?"

"For our first Christmas together?"

"No for my birthday?" She already knew what he got her for Christmas, a sparkling new cauldron she couldn't wait to get her hands on.

His smile reached his eyes and his hands reached down to grope her bottom. "One hour."

She grinned. "One hour?"

"Yep." He began walking away from the kitchen, towards the stairs. "One hour and I'll do anything you want."

It was much, much later while snow gently fell to the ground and they sat together with hot chocolate that he gave her a new cauldron... and (surprisingly) inside the cauldron was a stunning silver band with a fire opal in the center that fit perfectly on her index finger.

March 31st, 2007

The Quidditch match was hilariously fun for two reasons. The first being Susan Bones ended up in the row in front of them, which just spurred her to make Ron go sit with the woman. The second reason was that Susan ended up being a huge Chudley Canon's fan and had spent the majority of the match arguing with Ron about who knew the team better.

Neville and her hand left the match, a little tipsy on cheap ale, and holding hands. The past three months, she had been helping Harry with some cases at the DMLE now that her time with the Potion's Master program was coming to a spectacular end. The Title was as good as hers. But today was Saturday and while the breeze was still a touch nippy, the sun was shining and she had the day to spend with Neville.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, even knowing he wasn't. The feeling she got from him through the bond felt more like worry than anything else. Though she had quickly learned that emotions were heard to define.

"No why would I be?" He teased her, tugging roughly on her hand.

"Because this affects you too." They were causally strolling down Diagon Alley, soft music playing in the distance, and Neville's promise for ice cream leading them to the Ice Cream Parlor.

"It's your body, Pansy. I will always be mad at you for what you did to yourself, and I will always be mad that I didn't think to help you." His arm came up, wrapping around her shoulder, and bringing her body into his side. "But I am okay not having kids. I have you."

April 14th, 2007

She fucking did it. This was just what she needed after the day she had had. With some major practice, she was learning to focus her ability in a way that allowed her to pick up visions after touching items, or even being in a certain location. She was slowly becoming Harry's best friend.

But the case they had been working on the past week had taken a turn that had her throwing up her lunch.

This letter was just what she needed.

She was officially Pansy Parkinson, Potions Master. The owl bearing her certification came and went and still she jumped up and down in her living room. It was then that Neville walked in from work.

"Pansy?"

"Look!" She showed him the clean piece of parchment, the black ink smooth and perfect. "I am a Potions Master!"

He fist bumped the air as he strode over, picking her up in his arms and swinging her around in circles. "Fuck I am so proud of you."

"Oh Neville!"

"I got a letter today too..."

May 9th, 2007

He was sitting in his office when Hannah walked in. Draco raised his eyebrows and sat back from his own desk.

The blonde witch sat in the chair in front of Neville's desk and looked at Draco, matching his posture, raising her eye brows back at him. "Go." Was all she said.

Draco shrugged and gave Neville a good luck look before leaving without a word.

"Hannah?" Neville asked. The last thing he wanted to do was fight more with this woman. But she flat out refused to give him what he wanted, a divorce. He wanted to marry Pansy and make it official, but he couldn't do that knowing he was married to another woman, even if it was just a muggle union. He still knew about it. So would Pansy. It all just seemed so tacky. But it felt like any time they were in a room together, Hannah and him turned to fighting.

Now she sat in front of him with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. "Here." She reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of papers, throwing them down on the table aggressively.

"What are these?" He asked, immediately scanning through them. Divorce papers... Was she...?

"My daddy died." Her voice cracked, but she held her face.

He dropped the papers and reached across the desk, grabbing her fingers with his own. "Hannah, I'm sorry. Bill was a good man."

They were silent a long time, until Neville dropped her hands and leaned back again.

"Thank you."

"Is that why you waited?"

"I really did love you at first, it felt right... didn't it?"

He understood where she was coming from, remembered those first few nights... the whirlwind of promises and sex. It felt right then... but looking back, nothing would ever compare to what he had with Pansy. "It did... but it didn't last."

September 1st, 2007

It turned out the woman that had hugged her in St. Mungo's the day Denise had killed herself was Neville's mother. Neville had introduced her to his parents after she had the nerve enough to ask. They hugged her again and again before the two had headed home. That's when it had clicked, the question that she had a long time ago, something that had been in the very back of her mind. Why had Neville stayed sane through all of the Cruciatus Curse's that had been cast on him?

Because of sheer will power. Neville knew exactly what would happen to him if he succumbed to the insanity the Cruciatus Curse so often brought with it. So it had manifested in the form of physical scars. When he had escorted her out of the building, after a quick hello to Susan, she had wrapped her arms around his neck and cried for a long time, a fresh wave of guilt ripping her to shreds.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." she had mumbled between crying sobs. Because she was not the same girl she had been a decade ago. She was not the same girl she had been in 7th year. And part of her still couldn't stand that she had hurt this man, her soul mate, so much. Predestination was a bitch.

He took her home and ran her a bath, calming her down the best he knew how.

"It's just to be weird going back, you know?" He said much later, his hands rubbing circles on her back as they lay in the tub together.

"I can't imagine..." Pansy laughed, her back lying against his chest, the water perfectly hot around them.

"I'll probably be late... imagine me walking into the Great Hall right in the middle of sorting or something... jeez... they want me to be a teacher? I barely made it out of school in the first place."

Her hands were resting on his knees and she squeezed them. "You'll be an amazing teacher, Neville."

"I'll miss you while I am at school all day." he said, nuzzling into her neck, biting her skin there.

She moaned, mind going blank as soon as his teeth touched her. "Nev... again?"

"Yes..." he started working his hands up her body. "Make up for all the time I will be away this year... don't think I don't realize how sad you really are."

"Neville..." she gasped. "I'm sad because I have something to tell you, not because you're going to be the new Herbology Professor at Hogwart's."

His hands stopped. "What do you have to tell me?"

She shuddered at where his hands had stopped, his fingers teasing areas that made thinking hard. "I sold the house. I bought a lot at Hogsmead."

He was silent, unmoving. "You did what?"

She turned her head to look up at him. "You're going to be at Hogwart's for a long time, so I went ahead and sold the house. It's too small for two people anyways. I bought a lot on the outskirts of Hogmead so we could build a house there, for ourselves. And... there's lots of yard to grow on."

Neville ended up being very late for the Welcoming Feast.

June 13th, 2008

"I did something." was his greeting as he walked into the front door of the house they had built in Hogsmead. She had been sitting on the floor, attempting to channel her energies, because her work load for St. Mungo's had doubled since their other supplier was arrested for fraud on top of the work she had been doing for Harry... and stressed was just not a big enough word to describe just how frustrated she was with incompetent brewers and dark wizards who couldn't tell the end of a fake wand from a real one.

Neville immediately sat down behind her, massaging her shoulders and neck, making her go limp with moans. "What... what did you do then?" she managed to ask through the fuzzy mush her brain turned into when he touched her.

"McGonagall told me that Slughorn is finally retiring and she needed a new Potion's Professor for next year. I gave her your name. Mrs. Pansy Longbottom.

The fuzz retreated, panic taking over. "You did what?"

"Shh it's okay, you were just talking about cooling it down working at the Auror's office and I think it would be a great thing for you."

"You want me to work for Minerva McGonagall? You do have any idea how insane that idea is?"

"I do... and McGonagall loved it."

November 14th, 2011

"Do you know I am still finding tins of crystallized pineapple in hiding places all over those dungeons?" Pansy collapsed into bed next to Neville, the both of them worn out from the day.

He didn't even answer, just made a mmhmm kind of noise.

"One of the students asked me why we didn't have any kids today." she blurted out, she felt the zing of hurt shoot down through the bond at him, knowing there was no way to stop it. It was an old hurt, mostly because it had been one of the first things Neville had told her. Why he had jumped into bed with Hannah so quickly. He wanted kids. She couldn't have kids.

He lifted his head, his hands reaching out to tuck her body into his. "Shhh. Baby we have such a good life, if we had kids, I would be happy. But I am just as happy with you. Please don't hurt because you think I want kids and I am just settling for you. You know I am crazy about you."

They did have a good life. A life full of purpose and friends and growing things. It had taken a long time, but she was beginning to think her new wand was starting to connect to her magic the way her old Willow had. She had more control over her ability now, able to focus it and keep it from disrupting her life. And it turned out she had a knack for teaching.

And their friends were so crazy happy too. Theo and Percy were living together. Draco and Hermione were pregnant with their first child. Harry and Ginny had two kids already. Ron and Susan were still doing their weird dance.

And she had Neville. Her big, burly, possessive Gryffindor who made love to her all the time and made her feel like she would never be alone and still found ways to surprise her.

She sighed into him. "I love you Neville Longbottom."

"I love you Pansy Longbottom." he replied in a gentle tone. "You are my heart. Don't be sad." he said, switching back to his usual gruff voice.

She still had no idea where those damn rose petals came from.


End file.
